Do you think idealism and religion are the same thing and why or why not?
Posted: Sat Apr 25, 2026 10:23 pm
When I was younger, I got it into my head that the a priori meant things we believed "on faith". Now I think they're not really the same thing, axiomatic and dogmatic aren't the same thing since axioms are transparent and self-consistent in a way dogma isn't. Consider the difference between the dogma of the transubstantiation in Catholic eucharistic theology versus 2+2=4.
The host (bread and wine) becomes the body and blood of Christ - how it occurs is claimed to be a holy mystery; even if some theologians say faith is compatible with reason, no single attempt to explain it is affirmed by the Catholic church. Dogmas are beliefs you assent to without reason or experience.
In contrast, consider mathematics. You don't need to physically see two items and two items added together and count to four, to know two and two are four. It's structurally implicit. The lack of experience doesn't make it a matter of faith.
What do you guys think?
The host (bread and wine) becomes the body and blood of Christ - how it occurs is claimed to be a holy mystery; even if some theologians say faith is compatible with reason, no single attempt to explain it is affirmed by the Catholic church. Dogmas are beliefs you assent to without reason or experience.
In contrast, consider mathematics. You don't need to physically see two items and two items added together and count to four, to know two and two are four. It's structurally implicit. The lack of experience doesn't make it a matter of faith.
What do you guys think?