The Volition of Faith and Appreciation of Pragmatism and Existential Contributions

Propositions of belief depend on some degree of factual basis. Philosophical arguments vary as to whether certainty is necessary to form beliefs which can lead to compelling faith. Furthermore, if faith is a criteria for salvation, the volition of faith would be fundamental in ones’ culpability for having faith. Idealism represents the antithetical position of pragmatism and involves factual accounts in which to base beliefs, however, this paper intends to provide various considerations for pragmatic and existential philosophies by examining concerns of William James, Blaise Pascal, Soren Kierkegaard, and others. I.e., “Pascal’s Wager” is a philosophical idea used to demonstrate a practical argument that faith is better, and more reasonable, than unbelief. Kierkegaard measures faith’s virtue to the contrary of dependency on fact and reason, expressing that the obligation of Christianity is not to affirm the existence of God, but to love God. A utility of existential thought and pragmatism concerns self-transformation. Although the voluntary nature of belief may remain ambiguous, a willing commitment to faith is certain