Final Essay: A defence of “I Want to Believe”
In Tsawalk: A Nuu-chah-nulth Worldview, Richard Atleo (2004) explores the theory of Tsawalk, the concept of heshook-ish tsawalk, that “everything is one”. He argues that, “reason, or human cognition, may not be the sole source of knowledge, that ‘faith and spirit’ may also play a significant and alternative role to human reason” (p. xi). In Western philosophy, human reason has taken precedence over, and to some extent eliminated, our connection to the spiritual realm, resulting in an unbalanced and disjointed understanding of existence according to Atleo (Atleo, 2004, pp. xii-xvi). In his book, Atleo analyzes four origin stories from the Nuu-chah-nulth culture which encompass both the physical and spiritual realms, and expresses the theory of Tsawalk, which “suggests that while the human mind is necessary for human cognition and for accessing and acquiring information, it can also be a conduit for spiritual information that can complement or complete or further illuminate our understanding of existence” (Atleo, 2004, pp. xix-xx).
If there is in fact more to existence than can be discovered by empirical science, it is not necessary or useful to rely solely upon what can be proven (or disproven) to be true through the scientific method. Knowledge and truth may also be gained through examination of and interaction with the spiritual realm. Origin stories and folklore of different societies and cultures provide evidence of this practise throughout human history. This more holistic way of learning and knowing provides benefits that cannot be achieved through reason or science alone. These benefits include an increased sense of morality with respect to humanity’s interaction with the natural world, a heightened curiosity and willingness to investigate in the absence of scientific proof, and a deeper connection to reality and openness to the possibility of discovery outside what is known in the physical realm. The concept of Tsawalk resonates with scholarship that emphasizes the significance of spiritual belief. Robin Wall Kimmerer’s “Corn Tastes Better on the Honor System” (2018) explores the reciprocal relationship between humans and other life forms, which connects to Atleo’s view of the existence of certain traditions to be followed between the physical and spiritual realms. Sherrilyn Roush’s (2005) analysis of knowledge and true belief provides a framework for understanding the link between belief and knowledge, and how in Atleo’s view, knowledge from the spiritual world can be accessed and attained. Through these works and Atleo’s theory of Tsawalk, the scientific method and spiritual inquiry can be used to provide a balanced and more extensive understanding of human existence.
References
Atleo, E. R. (2004). Tsawalk: A Nuu-chah-nulth Worldview. UBC Press.
Bergman, B. (2008, February 27). Bigfoot casts a philosophical shadow. The Berkeleyan.
Hájek, A. (2017). Pascal’s Wager. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
Kimmerer, R. W. (2018, October 31). Corn Tastes Better on the Honor System. Emergence Magazine.
Manners, K. (2000, February 13). Closure (Season 7, Episode 11). In The X-Files.
Roush, S. (2005). Tracking Truth: Knowledge, Evidence, and Science. Oxford University Press.
Shermer, M. (2011). The Believing Brain: From Ghosts and Gods to Politics and Conspiracies – How We Construct Beliefs and Reinforce Them as Truths. Times Books.
Notes
This post is an excerpt from the Final Essay assignment I submitted in Week 15 of MAIS 601 Making Sense of Theory in the Humanities and Social Sciences, Athabasca University (Dr. Angela Specht, January 2022).
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