What is solipsism?

Answer

Solipsism is the belief that anything other than one’s own mind is uncertain to exist. This can involve skepticism about one’s senses and experiences, or the belief that anything outside of the mind is non-existent. Like any abstract philosophical view, it has numerous variations and applications. Various forms of solipsism have been applied to Christian, atheist, and pantheist worldviews, and everything in between.

From a straightforward perspective, the Bible does not propose anything resembling solipsism. God is said to have created (Genesis 1:1;John 1:1-3), and this creation is said to have changed (Genesis 1:2-3) and will be changed again (Revelation 21:1-2). This reality is described as having different, distinct parts (Genesis 1:4-7). Similarly, human beings are called to respond to their experiences as a means to understand the will of God (Romans 1:20;Matthew 11:21-23). A person holding solipsistic views must interpret such ideas in a highly metaphorical manner, which is not the natural reading of the text. Nor do the writings of the early Church Fathers hint at such a view of reality or Scripture.

Furthermore, solipsism should be distinguished from general skepticism and fact-checking. The Bible promotes a cautious skepticism «These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. », (Acts 17:11), especially concerning spiritual concepts «Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. », (1 John 4:1). Simply acknowledging our fallibility and the need to verify our experiences is not solipsism. True solipsism, in reality, cannot be linked to our experiences at all.

Solipsism undermines any reasoning or proof that would validate the reality of experience. If our experiences are artificial, imaginary, or false, then any experience that could lead us to believe in solipsism might be part of the illusion and thus unreliable. Similarly, any experience that could cause us to question solipsism could be disregarded for the same reason. Consequently, solipsism is neither confirmed nor refuted by any conceivable experience—meaning that solipsism as a philosophy is essentially meaningless. The concept is both unverifiable and unfalsifiable. Whether true or false, we cannot know it or disprove it, and therefore we cannot reach any meaningful conclusions about it.

This is one reason why solipsism, and arguments that suggest it, are typically viewed as dead ends in philosophical debates. Essentially, introducing solipsism renders the discussion futile. Once one contends that our experiences—fundamentally—are unreliable, we are left unable to ascertain anything. This not only contradicts our lived experience, but it renders all logic and experience futile. Solipsism falls into the category of ideas that are intriguing but not worth delving into (Colossians 2:8;Titus 3:9).

Some individuals find solipsism disconcerting because it is a challenging concept to shake off. If we cannot trust our own senses and experiences, then what does that imply for our relationships, our science, or o

Are you concerned about solipsism and its impact on your religion? The key to overcoming this anxiety is recognizing the impracticality of solipsism. Belief in solipsism cannot be effectively put into practice. Furthermore, it cannot be validated or invalidated through any conceivable experiences or evidence. To move past the worry of solipsism, one must acknowledge that it is purely abstract and lacks any real-world application.

An apt comparison for being trapped in solipsistic thought is the children’s song “The Song That Never Ends,” which features the following lyrics:

This is the song that never ends.

Yes, it goes on and on, my friends.

Some people started singing it not knowing what it was.

And they’ll continue singing it forever, just because . . .

(repeat from the beginning endlessly)

If you adhere to the song’s assertion (that you must keep singing), you will remain stuck in an eternal cycle, as the song dictates. However, if someone questions why you are persistently singing, the only justification you can offer is, “because the song instructs me to do so!” The resolution lies in recognizing that, apart from the song itself, there is absolutely no obligation for you to keep singing. You were not compelled to start, and you are not obliged to continue—unless you arbitrarily decide that you must comply with the song for some unspecified reason.

Solipsism operates similarly within our minds. If desired, we could attribute everything we perceive as a creation of our imagination, dismissing all contradictory indications. Yet, we would need to apply the same logic to all evidence pointing towards solipsism initially. Moreover, we lack concrete grounds to believe in its validity in any scenario. Like the children’s song, we might become fixated on the concept, but there is no compelling reason to do so other than the concept itself.