1.2.2.1 A Basis for Conversation

Anyone who denies these conclusions or questions the faith is being hypocritical – inconsistent with the facts.  To simply have a conversation with another person we must assume all these conclusions have some validity.  A conversation assumes:

●   a separation in space between you and me, as we face each other in some way;

●    the passage of time, as words follow one another, as first one speaks, then the other responds;

●    there is a point to the conversation, even if that is to idly pass the time;

●    the person we are conversing with can hear us, interpret what we say and respond somehow.

But still, though it would be difficult to have a conversation while denying these points, we must still acknowledge that they are like assumptions that we impose onto reality, and they may lead us to error if in some circumstances they don't apply.  We must become aware of the potential for error, misclassification, false assumptions and misinterpretation, as the Hindus, Buddhists, sceptics, post-modernists and relativists of all sorts remind us.

But to continue the conversation we are forced to interpret reality in terms of these basic concepts.

●   In fact, modern psychology and neuroscience says we do automatically and unconsciously link things and events to each other to construct explanatory narratives. 

●   In the case of people and higher animals it seems sensible to attribute agency (that they have their own minds, choose what to do and then do it).

●   Few people now attribute personalities or ‘spirits’ to natural phenomena such as the wind.

The facts that modern science is consistent with our assumptions here or that many people agree with them are not in themselves reasons for adopting them, but they do help the consistency of the whole.  The critical reason for adopting these assumptions is, as Kant said, that we can't imagine a better way.

So while we feel we must impose these attributes onto reality, we acknowledge that this is to some extent a choice we make, however unconsciously, so that we can join the discussion seeking a reasonable way of life.

We attempt to summarise this as follows: