Belief that does not rest on logical
proof or theological evidence.
Although it is the opposite of reason, belief that is based on
proof and evidence, faith is not limited to the religious and theological arenas. It takes a certain amount of faith to trust causality and repeatability (refer to Hume's philosophy),
two fundamental principles that scientific research is based on.
It requires just as much faith to say for certain that there is no god as it does to say there is
one, perhaps even more since there is no 2000 year old book to base your arguments on.
Any beliefs that are not 100% supported by facts and evidence. This includes religious beliefs, hope for the future, and trust in other
people as
well as trust in the truthfulness of scientific theories.
Where there is doubt, faith is needed.
I have faith that the career path I've chosen will bring me many megatons o' moolah.
I have faith that the Bible and my church are right in their teachings, and will lead me to become a better
person.
It
may answer so many questions that the rest of the
world leaves unanswered, but it still takes a LOT of faith to believe in something as ridiculous as quantum mechanics.