Agnosticism
Agnosticism is a philosophical position asserting that certain truths, particularly regarding the existence of a deity or divine being, cannot be known or proven. Coined by English biologist Thomas H. Huxley in the late 19th century, the term is derived from the Greek words for "without" (a) and "knowledge" (gnosis). Agnostics occupy a middle ground between theism, which affirms the existence of God, and atheism, which denies it. They emphasize that definitive proof for or against the existence of a divine being is lacking.
Agnosticism can further be categorized into strong and weak forms: strong agnostics believe that no one can know if a divine being exists, whereas weak agnostics allow for the possibility that someone else may know. This position is not merely indecision; rather, agnostics advocate for an ethical responsibility to refrain from asserting beliefs that cannot be substantiated through evidence. While agnosticism is often associated with religious questions, it can apply to any area of knowledge, positing that some aspects of reality may be inherently unknowable. Agnostics maintain an open-minded stance towards both theism and atheism, valuing the exploration of these profound questions while recognizing the limitations of human understanding.
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Agnosticism
Agnosticism is the state of being agnostic. An agnostic is a person who believes that the truth about certain things cannot be known or proven. The term is often used in reference to a belief in a religion, deity, or god. Religious agnostics stand in a middle space between saying a divine being exists and saying no such being exists; they believe it is impossible to either prove or disprove the existence of a divine being. Agnostics should not be confused with Gnostics, the early Christian sect whose followers believed they had special knowledge about the nature of God and God’s will.
Background
The word agnostic comes from the Greek prefix a, meaning “without,” and gnosis, meaning “knowledge.” When combined, the resulting word means “without knowledge.” The word is used to refer to a person who claims to have no definitive knowledge about the subject in question.
Thomas H. Huxley coined the term in 1869 and included it in essays published in 1889. The English biologist and philosopher was a firm believer in the theories of Charles Darwin, the English naturalist who proposed the theory of natural selection, or that those organisms that are best able to adapt to their environment are most likely to survive. Huxley proposed agnosticism as part of his support of Darwin’s theory.
Huxley believed it was important to stay within the bounds of what could be demonstrated or proven and to not put undue emphasis on human reason. According to Huxley, one could not make a definitive claim about the truth or untruth of anything unless there was verifiable proof to back up the claim. While he initially made the statement in reference to Darwin’s theories, the concept was soon applied to religion as well.
Although Huxley created the term agnostic, the concept dated back to well before the late nineteenth century when he lived. The philosophers David Hume and Immanuel Kant also supported the concept that if something could not be proven, it should not be promoted as a valid belief. Hume stated that nothing can be said to directly cause anything else. Therefore, it was not possible to theorize about the existence of a divine being simply because there was no other known cause for the existence of the universe; this was one of the popular arguments for the existence of a divine being. Kant built on Hume’s theories. He stated that knowledge comes by experience, and since people can only truly know their own experiences, individual experiences cannot serve as definitive proof of reality.
Overview
In its broadest sense, agnosticism means holding a belief that knowing anything with certainty is beyond the ability of humankind. Essentially, it is the belief that reality is inherently unknowable. It can be applied to any topic, from each individual having any accurate self-knowledge to the inability of humankind to understand the nature of the universe or of God.
Agnostics hold the belief that for something to be proven true, there must be evidence that can be seen or experienced through the senses. This evidence must be able to be replicated, repeated, and seen as a pattern of occurrence. Further, they believe that there is an ethical responsibility not to hold up as true and factual anything that does not meet these empirical criteria.
Although people can hold agnostic viewpoints about nearly any topic, the concept is most commonly associated with religion. From the standpoint of religion, an agnostic is sometimes seen as being the opposite of either a theist or an atheist; neither is correct. A theist believes that there is a divine being, while an atheist believes there is no divine being. Agnostics hold neither belief. It is also incorrect to say that agnostics are undecided about the existence of a divine presence. Instead, they believe it is not possible to know if there is a divine being because it cannot be proven or disproven.
There are two main types of agnostics: strong and weak. Strong agnostics hold the belief that not only do they not know if there is a God, but no one else can know either. Weak agnostics say that they do not know if God exists but someone else might. Neither type of agnostic would say that because they do not know if God exists, that God does not in fact exist.
Some agnostics say that God may exist and that it is possible for things to be known about God, but the agnostic individual does not have personal knowledge of this. Other agnostics take a stronger approach and say that if God does exist, no one can know God’s nature. Agnostics can also hold the belief that if God exists, it is only possible to know some things about God but not all; others hold the belief that it is not possible to know anything about God.
It should not be said that agnostics are undecided about the existence of a divine being or that they are skeptics; the correct way to view their position is that they believe it can neither be proven nor disproven that God exists. They are not opposed to the idea that God could exist, and they do not generally oppose those who hold a belief in God’s existence. However, they are also usually equally able to understand the beliefs of atheists and support their right to hold that God does not exist. Agnostics remain open to both possibilities equally and without preference.
Bibliography
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