Why Do You Believe What You Believe?

My musings today were sparked by the social media political hype as the current election cycle grinds on. People are wedded to ideas, but seem to lack any philosophical foundation for their beliefs. Perhaps I am too cynical, but most debates about anything, whether substantial or inconsequential, boils down to, "I believe this because it makes me feel good, and if you disagree with me, you are a terrible person."

I do know that, after presenting an argument based on some basic economic principles, I have been told, "Well, I don't know anything about economics but..." followed by a nonsensical rebuttal that sidesteps all economic concerns I had just raised. Would you trust someone who says, "I don't know anything about nuclear physics, but..." followed by a rant about nuclear power that completely disregards all scientific evidence already presented in a discussion? Hopefully not.

Democracy rewards ignorance. The vote of someone with an empty opinion carries as much weight as someone with hard-earned expertise, and the experts are always outnumbered. This is why public choice economics analyses rational ignorance as the default in democracy. Just look at how many people think an AR15 is a machine gun.

However, in your personal life, ignorance can be very costly in a direct and immediate way. It is to your advantage to know what you believe and why you believe it. Philosophically examine your premises, your methodology for reasoning from those premises, and your conclusions. At least know how to test an idea for validity. This is why logic was developed in philosophy. This is what the scientific method is intended to verify. This is what apologetics is all about in theology.

Learn how to think. This can separate you from the herd for better or worse, but I think it is liberating to seek truth regardless of the consequences. Do you?