Doubt, Faith and Reason

Catholic Encyclopedia entry on doubt made me think.

"As certitude may be produced either by reason (which deals with evidence) or by faith (which rests on authority), it follows that theoretical doubt may be in like manner concerned with the subject-matter of either reason or faith, that is to say, with philosophy or with religion."

Every form of certitude can ultimately be traced to faith. Faith is the basic and common way of "being sure", because proving all notions is prohibitively difficult. Even mathematical truths (and even those which can ultimately be reduced to tautologies) are so difficult to grasp that even the best mathematicians rely on other mathematicians that they trust, other proofs they have faith in but don't grasp. How much more for every other aspect of life.

Further, it can be said that all truth comes to human beings through some sense, whether one of the five physical senses or the mind's ability to observe itself. Only after a faith, often implicit, in information provided by the senses can the mind begin to reason.

The need for faith is basic if something must be grasped. It cannot be escaped.