Just the Facts, Ma'am ...

I want to avoid the 'what is a fact?' question, but point out that one can determine the "facts" when one sets aside emotional predispositions. It comes down to believing (but, not uncritically) the report of one's eyes and ears, not concocted ideologies and prejudices.

Things have a way of turning out as they will, regardless of our beliefs about them. This is not to say that there is some hidden "causation" of events, which we could learn if we were smart enough, but merely that we don't know how things will turn out. Our "beliefs" only confuse things further, because we try to impose our schemes upon whatever order the natural world prefers to keep. Suppose that we do learn B always follows A. Does this mean A causes B? Clearly not, as all the first statement implies is that we observed A, then B. This observation could be entirely a matter of our position in the Universe, as implied by Einstein's relativity; others could see it differently. So, our observations - our experience - is entirely ours; not a truth about the Universe.

People want desperately to have order in their lives, predictable conditions in which they may thrive. They want the sun to rise and set regularly, the crops to grow, and the harvest taken in according to what suits their needs and their fancy. Since ancient times, people have invented methods to bring about the desired conditions and results. When the methods did not work, they attributed failure to natural spirits, incomprehensible but worthy of supplication. If one could not apply a mechanical formula to get results, one could beg the natural forces to bring about the results. The performance of rites seems to relieve most people's anxieties and fears, as well as their anger in failure or elation upon success. Rituals are the human admission and result of incompetence.

Lately, much of what I read in the news and see on TV is reminiscent of Brave New World, especially the move version of the book. Facts may not be finally determinable (in the philosophical sense), but the ordinary facts of life can be found out with reasonable limits on error. These facts are not changed by religion, demons or spirits, or the fears and aspirations of political office-seekers.