Agnosticism is based on the following statements. An agnostic is an unbeliever Thomas or a preacher of science. How atheists differ from agnostics
The word "agnosticism" itself has long become familiar to modern mankind, but the correctness of its interpretation is often in doubt. Let's try to figure it out: who is an agnostic?
As a rule, the majority of those who answer this question equate people of such convictions with incorrigible skeptics, and sometimes even atheists, which is fundamentally wrong. The statement that agnostics are people who do not believe in God only testifies to the lack of cultural development.
Philological context
Before we delve into the essence of this phenomenon, let's pay attention to a very similar spelling of the word - "gnosticism". Both definitions go back etymologically to the Greek gnosis - knowledge. This can be called the key concept of both definitions.
So, the followers of Gnosticism, the spread of which began in the third-fourth century AD, claimed that they had some kind of sacred knowledge received directly from God. Initially, this type of worldview was sharply opposed to religion in the usual sense of the word. For the gnostic, the dominant, only true proof of the existence of the Most High was this very knowledge received from above in the form of some kind of enlightenment. The inheritance of church doctrine for such people seemed to be something lower and imperfect.
But there is also such a thing as an agnostic. Who is this? Despite the common Greek root, the prefix negation in itself indicates opposition. Agnostics did not at all deny the existence of God as such, as it can be perceived at first glance. On the contrary, there was no doubt about it. Nevertheless, they did not see the possibility of cognizing this Absolute.
A little more about the essence of the concept
In order to fully understand the meaning of this term, let us turn again to the etymology. Already at the inception of agnosticism, the morpheme of negation was added to the root borrowed from the Greek language. So from gnosis it turned out agnostos, which in translation means "inaccessible to knowledge."
What is hidden behind the word "agnostic"? Its definition was finally formulated relatively recently - in 1869, but this does not at all indicate the absence of agnosticism as a phenomenon and point of view until then. Even in the days of Antiquity, this position took place, and over time it was strengthened, developed and improved. In particular, in the philosophy of Protagoras, in ancient skepticism and among the sophists, the key ideas of this direction were clearly traced.
To a greater extent, views of this kind were inherent in idealist philosophers.
The origins of agnosticism
Initially, the divine component in this philosophical teaching was practically absent. The first prerequisites for the emergence of agnosticism were doubts that arose regarding the absoluteness of knowledge, the mutability of the world as such. “I only know that I don’t know anything” - quite fit into the concept and largely determined it.
In a word, the philosophical foundation of this worldview was laid by the ancient agnostics. Representatives of that time, such as Socrates or the same Protagoras, not to mention the sophists and skeptics, spoke only about the impossibility of full penetration into the essence of things as such. Only later, with the passage of time, did God emerge in the paradigm of the phenomena they studied.
Philosophers and Agnosticism
This concept was presented by a huge number of thinkers, but in the simplest and most general form it was presented in the works of Hume. This philosopher put experience at the head of knowledge, which is quite natural. Nevertheless, in this case, the question arose quite naturally about how much a person's experience coincides with reality, the essence of things.
Further, agnostic philosophers developed this idea, introducing more and more new things into it. So, one of the classics of philosophy, Immanuel Kant, introduced the concept of "things in themselves", which cannot be fully cognized. He insisted on the difference between the represented and the real, separating these concepts very strictly and in principle.
Nevertheless, despite the difference in points of view, thinkers agreed on one thing: the embodiment of this very Absolute, as well as its full comprehension, is simply impossible under any circumstances. Thus, a person, from the point of view of agnosticism, cannot assert that God is Allah, Jesus Christ or Buddha, since the very essence of God cannot be embodied and cognized.
Why not confuse concepts
As already mentioned, adherents of the impossibility of knowing the Absolute are often confused with atheists, which is fundamentally wrong. Agnostic - who is this? This is a person who believes in the existence of a higher power (in this case, God), but claims that it cannot be known or scientifically proven.
The atheist, on the other hand, claims that God, like any other higher power, simply does not exist. He does not require proof, does not strive for knowledge - only denies this point of view. Thus, there is a huge difference between an agnostic and an atheist that must not be forgotten.
In addition, the philosophy of agnosticism is much broader than religion, since it is based on the concept of knowledge as such and a way of knowing the world as a whole.
Summarizing
So agnostic. Who is this? This is a person who is able to doubt the power of his mind, who perceives the world as much more complex than it might seem at first glance. This is a thinker striving for the knowledge of Truth and realizing the impossibility of its knowledge. These are Kant, Hegel and David Hume. This is a person who believes in God, but is not attached to religion.
Who are agnostics and what are their views on life? Not everyone will answer this question today, although the word "agnostic" is used by many.
The emergence of the term "agnostic"
Originally the term "agnostic" appeared in the late nineteenth century and implied a system of views on religion, different from the position of the official church. If in the ecclesiastical presentation the essence of things was determined, but not substantiated in evidence, then the agnostics were not going to take “on faith” an unproven basis and left the question of the origin of life and the existence of God open, suggesting that someday humanity will be able to answer it.
For the first time the term was used by the British scientist Darwinist Thomas Henry Huxley in 1876. An agnostic today is a person who denies all kinds of existing religions and beliefs, but does not reject the very essence of the divine concept. Agnostics try to understand the essence of things based on the availability of objective evidence of the existence of a single creative principle of all surrounding life. They accept only evidence obtained through direct perception of the essence of things and their creation, not excluding the use of meditative techniques and practices, using descriptions of the experience of knowing the source of life by people who have achieved "enlightenment", and also, often, leave the question of the existence of a creator of all things open. without denying its relevance.
How atheists differ from agnostics
Atheists are people who adhere to the concept of materialism. Materialism is a kind of faith, because the concept is as unsubstantiated as the existence of God in a religious interpretation. The share of atheists in the world does not exceed 10 percent.
Agnostics are fundamentally different people. Their concepts go beyond simple belief. When an agnostic does not receive convincing evidence, he leaves the question open. The number of agnostics in the world is steadily growing, gaining their adherents from among those who have become disillusioned with the tenets of the official religion.
There are two main directions in agnosticism - theological and scientific. The first direction adheres to the belief that if we separate mysticism from the religious interpretation, then the concept of cultural and moral values acceptable for human life will remain. These values are accepted by the current of theological agnosticism as the basis of existence and moral behavior. Thus, agnostic Christians left the mysticism inherent in Christianity, but left its morality as the basis of behavior.
Scientific agnosticism is basically based on the notion that any knowledge of the essence of the creation of the world is not accurate, since it is distorted by human consciousness. Agnostics of this direction are convinced that as long as consciousness exists as an element of knowledge and thought, the objective picture cannot be perceived. The direction does not deny that the possibility of cognition may appear in the future.
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Agnostics are people who consider objective knowledge of the world around them to be impossible. From the point of view of agnostics, there is no absolute truth - everyone is entitled to a point of view.
People call themselves agnostics when it comes to religion. Here lies a compromise between atheism and religiosity point of view: the existence of God (gods) is unprovable on the basis of the available information, but this possibility should not be denied either.
However, even among agnostics, there is a division on believers and unbelievers.
Agnostic atheists do not believe in the existence of gods; agnostic theists, on the contrary, are convinced of the existence of at least one deity. But both those and others agree that it is impossible to know for sure whether there really are deities or not.
The famous British philosopher and mathematician Bertrand Russell classified himself as agnostic atheists. He illustrated his views by drawing an analogy with a tiny porcelain teapot in Earth's orbit: you cannot be 100% sure that there is no teapot in orbit, but you do not have to believe in its existence.
Today, Russell's teapot is used as an argument in favor of the fact that in a dispute about the truth or falsity of some judgments, the burden of proof lies with the asserter, and not with his opponent - it is impossible to prove the absence of something.
Or maybe you are an Ignostic?
A separate "subspecies" of agnostics is Ignostics. When asked about religious views, Ignostics ask the interlocutor to give a definition of God, and then decide whether they believe in what has been described.
The roots of agnosticism can be traced back to ancient Roman and ancient Greek philosophy. Philosophers wrote about the fundamental impossibility of testing the reality of the existence of gods. Ancient Indian thinkers were also in solidarity with them.
Agnosticism is opposed to Gnosticism, which includes many religious movements of the Late Antiquity, including early Christian teachings. Gnosticism implies the existence of some kind of secret knowledge, gnosis, available to the enlightened. And only those who have come to this knowledge with the help of intuition gain salvation.
The term "agnosticism" belongs to the evolutionary zoologist Thomas Huxley. Scientist introduced it in 1869 when he was invited to its meetings by the Metaphysical Society, a philosophical society founded in Great Britain in the same year. Reflecting on who he himself is - a Christian, a materialist, an atheist - Huxley described himself as "a free-thinking person."
This description formed the basis of the definition. Other versions of the origin of the term have also been put forward. Russian prince Pyotr Kropotkin claimed that this was the name of a group of British writers in the 18th century, who decided that such a definition suited them better than "atheists."
Proponents of an atheistic worldview consider agnosticism to be an unnecessary concept. The German philosopher Friedrich Engels called agnosticism "bashfully disguised materialism," and today's atheists derisively call agnostics "dunno." However, many adherents of atheistic beliefs recognize the ability of agnostics to think rationally.
The attitude of believers towards agnostics is no less controversial. Some of them hope that since the agnostics are not sure that there are no gods, they can be won over to their side. Others look at agnostics with disdain - it seems to them that agnosticism is close enough to a religious view of the world, but agnostics do not go to churches or mosques, do not pray or perform any religious rites.
How many agnostics are there in the world?
2006 edition Financial Times together with a research company Harris Insights & Analytics conducted a survey on religious beliefs among US residents and five European countries... As it turned out, the maximum number of agnostics lived in the UK - 35%.
In France and Spain, it seemed about 32% and 30%, respectively. In Germany, the proportion of agnostics was 25% of the population, in Italy - 20%. The smallest number of agnostics, only 14%, ended up in the United States. According to statistics from the American Pew Research Center for 2012, the number of agnostics is only 3.3% of the US adult population, with 55% of them leaning towards a religious worldview.
In Russia, according to the statistics of the Levada Center, 22% of the population consider themselves to be the non-religious part of society, this category includes, in addition to agnostics, atheists and people indifferent to religion.
The situation is similar in Asian countries - in Japan the share of non-religious citizens is 64-65%, and in Vietnam it reaches 81%.
In Canada, the proportion of agnostics and atheists is one third of the population. In Malta, Turkey, Romania and Poland, only 1% are agnostics and atheists.
Agnosticism ("unknowable, unknowable") is a direction in, which considers impossible the objective surrounding reality through one's own experience.
An agnostik is a person who has renounced the faith associated with God and is convinced that the original beginning of things is unknown, since it cannot be known. In other words, an agnostic is a person who believes that it is impossible to prove the existence or non-existence of God. The term is applied to the teachings of Herbert Spencer, Hamilton, George Berkeley, David Hume, and others.
History
Agnosticism can be found already in ancient philosophy, in particular in Protagoras, the sophists, in ancient skepticism.
The term was coined by Professor Thomas Henry Huxley at a meeting of the Metaphysical Society in 1876.
Religions
An agnostic considers it impossible to know the truth in matters of the existence of God or eternal life, which excludes for him belonging to religions or philosophical movements that give an unambiguous answer to these questions. However, agnosticism does not fundamentally exclude the existence of divine entities.
The term “agnostic” can also be used to describe those who believe that the question of God's existence can be resolved, but find the arguments given for the existence or non-existence of God unconvincing and not sufficient to come to an unambiguous conclusion.
To reduce the ambiguity associated with the use of the term "agnosticism", the terms "strict agnosticism" are sometimes used for the initial understanding of the word, and "empirical agnosticism" for the modern definition.
Relationships with other philosophical movements
Agnosticism develops in positivism, neo-positivism and post-positivism as conventionalism.
Agnosticism in the theory of knowledge
Agnosticism can also be defined as a teaching based on the following statement: since the whole process of cognition is based on experience, and experience is subjective, the subject will not be able to comprehend the essence of the object under study, "a thing in itself." Thus, the role of science is reduced to the knowledge of experience, and not the essence of things and phenomena. In this sense, agnosticism is any philosophical doctrine denying the possibility of achieving absolute truth, for example, Kantianism.
"Agnostic"- a person who is of the opinion that it is not possible to cognize reality through subjective experience. You cannot support or refute any ideas and views based on personal experience. In terms of religion, agnostics are people who believe that it is impossible to prove or, on the contrary, to refute the existence of God, because all judgments about him are based on personal experiences and knowledge. In a philosophical sense, agnosticism asserts the impossibility of knowing the world due to the limitations of human reason and knowledge.
Agnosticism in the theory of knowledge speaks of the impossibility of knowing the essence of things and that knowledge can be exclusively phenomenological in nature. There is Kant's theory that illuminates the idea that the main difficulty in understanding the world is the human mind due to its inconsistency. This means that, as it develops, the mind creates more and more controversial theories that cannot be proven and cannot be refuted, since in such a case, both can be both true and false at the same time. In addition, Kant believed that all things have a dual nature, which means that things cannot be known reliably as well.
Agnosticism is spoken of only as a method of cognizing phenomena.
An example is an apple - it is made of atoms. All living and nonliving consists of atoms - the smallest particles. The theory of the atomic structure of everything that exists is now absolutely obvious and generally accepted. But if someday someone proves that atoms consist of even smaller particles - quarks - then this theory will become generally accepted and obvious. And so infinitely many times something can be proved and refuted. All this proves that the knowledge of the world is impossible to the end and completely now and is never possible.
In religion, agnosticism means the impossibility of knowing the existence of God. Agnosticism does not deny (!) The existence of higher forces, but only speaks of the unreality of obtaining accurate and reliable knowledge about this.
If a person is not sure of a sufficient amount of evidence about the existence of the Almighty, then he begins to look for evidence, build hypotheses, conduct research, but in the end all this will lead him to the conclusion that it is still impossible to get accurate and true knowledge about God. The same applies to judgments in the theory of knowledge and in the philosophical sphere. In addition, an agnostic does not practice such a religion as "agnosticism" because such a religion simply does not exist. Agnosticism is not a religion (!), But a teaching, a philosophical theory.
Knowledge is changeable, questionable, imperfect, which means that truth is denied, being does not matter.
Huma in his work says that cognition is only an experience, and it does not seem real to him to go beyond the limits of this experience. The scholar Hamilton made a significant contribution to agnosticism when he criticized Cousin's ideas about knowing God. The scientist, relying on the teachings of Kant, said that all human knowledge, built only on experience, is imperfect, and therefore everything that is outside this experience is just as imperfect as it is unknowable. This means that with the help of only the knowledge available to science, we cannot firmly assert anything.
Agnosticism- this is part of philosophical skepticism, which also says that human knowledge is constantly growing, however, outside of human knowledge and abilities, there will always be unresolved questions.
Doctrine developed at the beginning of the twentieth century, and it was then that the scientist Lossky formulated the dilemma that intuition is main source knowledge, because only direct knowledge is possible, or the source is only experience, in which not real phenomena are used, but only their copies, and seeing only copies - we cannot assert the reliability of knowledge.
There is no connection between the essence and the phenomenon - the essence of the object is hidden deep inside it, and you need to get to it. Influencing objects of the surrounding world, we find its essence, knowledge about it. If a thing exists, it means that it is open to knowledge. Turning to the topic of religious agnosticism, we can just say that God is not open to knowledge, which means that he can exist? And on the contrary - if it exists - why is it not open to knowledge? Or is it still open?
Agnosticism is unknowable in itself, it is a means of expanding knowledge, thoughts, experience.
Agnosticism is built on an exclusive criticism of knowledge and the reality based on it.
Thus, we can conclude that an agnostic is a person who builds his conclusions and thoughts about the world, knowledge, the environment based on his confidence in those things, the evidence of which he has.
