Taking the Leap

(riposte to Sam Harris' "The End Of Faith")

I think I have it all figured out. Secular, liberal philosophy fails, because it attempts to derive ethical behavior from first principles. This is impossible: there is no rational basis for kindness. Sure, the Eggheads can blather on about the sociobiological basis for altruism... but in the end, some people will fuck you if they can, no matter how much you trusted them and gave them your heart. There is no rational reason to go on trusting people after a few cases of heartbreak; game theory demands that you play tit-for-tat, dog eat dog all the way. But somehow, goodness occasionally prevails. And from that little bit of goodness, every blue moon, you believe there's something to live for. That's faith, my friend; you can't buy it, sell it, fake it, or get it for free. You have to take the leap.