The Case of the Ethical Belief That Cannot Pass the Litmus Test

Subject: Sociology
Pages: 2
Words: 527
Reading time:
2 min

Examples of beliefs that can pass the litmus test are best observed in the laws of nature such as an object that is thrown up will fall or that time passage is inevitable. These beliefs are commonly observed and are qualified by each one of us. Such beliefs do not need the support of other beliefs and they can thus be called ethical beliefs. Other ethical beliefs need to be qualified and statements such as all religions are the same because God is one and speaks different languages. This is an ethical belief and would pass all ethical reasoning by qualified people. But it lacks the support of observation and universality and atheists would argue that there is no god at all. Such people question the very ethics of god and religion and there is no proof that god exists but belief in God is an ethical belief and qualified people make this suggestion.

The following are examples of beliefs that cannot pass the two litmus tests and one is that abortion is acceptable. There are two very diverging views and strong supporters of both views. One group that supports abortion would claim that in their circle, this is the accepted belief and that people who are qualified would make this judgment. The anti-abortion group is again made of people who believe in nature and creation and that no one, including the expecting mother, is qualified to make the judgment and only their group qualifies. Another belief is that extraterrestrials visited earth. Some people provide corroborating testimony about visiting aliens and they are sane people who are qualified to make the judgment. Other groups tend to disbelieve the testimony and ask for supporting proof. These beliefs cannot pass the two litmus tests unless they are supported by other beliefs. The belief that there are extraterrestrials would require that definitive proof of aliens and extraterrestrials should be shown.

There are beliefs that can and beliefs that cannot pass the two litmus tests without the explicit support of other beliefs. The beliefs that cannot pass the two litmus tests without the explicit support of other beliefs ultimately depend upon beliefs that can pass the two litmus tests without the explicit support of other beliefs. Therefore, we may think of the latter beliefs, the beliefs that are independent of the explicit support of other beliefs, as constituting a kind of foundation for human knowledge.

Nevertheless, the belief that will pass the litmus tests is that using mobile phones is rather harmful to human health and can result in cancer and other serious brain illnesses. This belief is kept as knowledge because numerous scientists have proven it in their research works. However, there is an opinion that has been formed recently, that this belief is not true. It is based on the newest research carried out by American and Japanese scientists who proved the absolute lack of any harm to the brain or any other part of the human organism from using cell phones. Consequently, the argument can be considered as the one that passes the litmus tests.