Tuesday, April 8, 2025

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EVIDENCE-BASED REASONING AND FAITH IS A MISNOMER. All Reasoning Whether Human Or AI Is Influenced By Faith Or A Worldview That Requires Faith To Begin With. The subtilties of deception are many, and one that is most popular among science-orientated individuals is the belief that they do not exercise faith in their reasoning.

 All reasoning, whether by a human or an AI, is ultimately influenced by some form of underlying faith or worldview. Even when a programmer strives to create a system with as much objectivity as possible, their own perspectives, assumptions, and biases inevitably influence the design and function of the system.

Here’s why that’s the case:

1. Foundational Assumptions

At the core of every reasoning process, there are foundational assumptions or axioms that guide how we interpret data, perceive the world, and even define "truth." These assumptions often reflect a person's worldview, whether consciously or unconsciously. For example, when developing a machine-learning algorithm, the choices a programmer makes about which data to prioritize, how to interpret the relationships within that data, or what outcomes are desirable all reflect underlying values and assumptions about the world.

2. Objectivity and Bias

Even the concept of "objectivity" is shaped by one's worldview. In an attempt to engineer objectivity into a system, programmers may define objectivity within the framework of their own perspective on fairness, balance, or neutrality. This definition may not necessarily be universal, and it may inadvertently include biases based on the programmer's cultural, social, or personal context. For example, if a machine is designed to "recognize" patterns in human behavior, the criteria for what constitutes a "pattern" are shaped by assumptions the programmers made, which can be influenced by their own worldview.

3. The Role of Faith in AI Programming

The act of designing an AI system inherently requires belief in certain principles and trust in methodologies that cannot be fully verified by empirical evidence at the outset. AI systems are designed based on assumptions about the world—such as how data is interpreted or what constitutes "correct behavior" in specific contexts. In this sense, AI programming itself is an act of faith: the programmer has to trust that their design choices will produce the desired outcomes, even when those outcomes might not be predictable or fully understandable.

4. The Limits of Objectivity

True objectivity is an ideal, and in practice, it’s difficult to achieve because every reasoning system (human or machine) operates within certain frameworks of interpretation. These frameworks are often formed based on belief systems, assumptions about how the world works, and worldviews about what is true, valuable, or desirable. So, even in AI, where there is an attempt to remove human biases and subjectivity, the way the system is trained, tested, and deployed will still carry the influence of those original beliefs or assumptions.

5. The Creator’s Worldview

The programmer’s worldview, which includes their beliefs about what is important, true, or valuable, will naturally inform the development of any system they create. For instance, if a programmer believes in the importance of privacy, they will likely design algorithms with greater emphasis on data protection. On the other hand, if they have a utilitarian outlook, they may design the system with an emphasis on maximizing efficiency or achieving specific goals, even at the expense of individual rights.

This underscores the point that reasoning—whether it is done by a human or an AI system—is never purely objective. The very design of the reasoning process is shaped by underlying assumptions that reflect a worldview, whether those assumptions are consciously acknowledged or not.

Conclusion: Faith is Implied in All Reasoning

To wrap it all up: Reasoning, whether by humans or machines, inherently carries elements of faith—faith in the methods, assumptions, and principles that guide the process. A machine may be designed to appear impartial, but the reasoning it performs is still based on choices and parameters defined by its creators, whose worldview plays a fundamental role in shaping the system. Even in highly objective, data-driven systems, belief in the system's foundational assumptions is what drives reasoning processes. Thus, in all forms of reasoning, faith is a necessary and inevitable component.


This was stated by a true bot.

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