We all carry a set of foundational assumptions about existence. In math lingo we call those assumptions axioms. Axioms are unprovable and unfalsifiable by definition. That means we can’t prove them to be true, nor can we demonstrate that they are not true. You may not realize it, but the only reason math, science, logic, and philosophy make any sense is because each are grounded and governed by a set of axioms. In set theory, there are a handful of axioms – but interestingly, there’s one that isn’t universally accepted: the Axiom of Choice. The point being that it demonstrates the unprovable, unfalsifiable nature of axioms. The decision to use or exclude comes down to belief.

Speaking of which, in religious terms we’d call axioms beliefs or a creed. Regardless of name, they are one in the same concept. One has to choose to believe them.

I would encourage you to figure out what your personal axioms are. Not only will it help you make more logically sound decisions and develop consistent views, it will also help you understand where other folks are coming from.

For example, when someone labels another as “unscientific” it always comes from a differing set of axioms between the two. Few if any people are unscientific, that is to say not a believer in the scientific method. The term actually means “someone who has differing conclusions from scientific evidence which are drastically different from my own.”

A personal example: I disagree with standard cosmology’s axiom that space is ruled by gravitational forces alone. I can point to a number of observations that demonstrate that electromagnetic (EM) forces are also at work – and those forces are far more powerful at scale. The solar wind (plasma) and solar flares (plasma discharges) show the power EM forces have to counteract gravity. Those forces also explain the “strange” temperature profile of the sun and galactic spin rates without the need for dark matter. Why isn’t it an obvious choice then? All the evidence is interpreted based on our axioms. That’s why dark matter seems logical despite no evidence it exists nor any rationale for why it is distributed the way it is – because gravity is the only force and that necessarily means something is there. I can only hope to shift a person’s belief that gravity alone dominates. The evidence is there – it’s just a matter (no pun intended) of faith.