Mary Kartansky

On Faith. A Simple Word

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) December 4, 2025 Mary Kartansky preprint

This essay offers a critical psychological and philosophical analysis of the concept of faith. The author argues that faith, unlike trust and hope, does not rely on experience, evidence, or verification, making it a unique and potentially dangerous phenomenon in human consciousness. The paper traces the roots of faith from childhood magical thinking and the “oceanic feeling” (Freud) to its...