Chit Chat Philosophy

2 In a popular film they famously state that “the rebellion is built on hope.” But what really is hope?

1 Hope is a belief that things will improve, despite evidence to the contrary.

2 Ah, you say “improve” yet hope can be used with a negative connotation as well. Can it not?

1 I suppose it can. “I hope you step on a Lego brick,” for example.

2 Is that the same kind of hope that rebellions are built on?

1 Surely there is a difference between these two statements. In one they are challenging overwhelming odds and putting their belief in an idea. In the other example, there is a desire for some outcome but it lacks the same kind of conviction.

2 What is the line between these two examples then?

1 Faith. 

2 And what would you describe faith as?

1 Faith is putting your belief in an idea and sticking with that conviction, despite evidence or odds to the contrary.

2 Is there a difference between faith and hope?

1 I think there is a distinction between faith and hope. Intuitively, I feel faith assumes a higher power whereas hope does not make any such assumption.

2 Can you be more specific?

1 Hope allows for the possibility of failure, while faith does not. You can say “all hope is lost” for example, but you won’t find a similar parallel about faith.

2 Can hope contain elements of faith?

1 Well, I think they are closely related. You can have faith in an idea (the force for example), and hope that it will help you win the rebellion.

2 Is that what they mean by “rebellions are built on hope?”

1 That phrase seems to indicate something deeper. True, they are believing in the rightness of their ideals and leveraging this commitment as a motivation for defeating the odds. Yet they acknowledge it’s a long shot. It can fail. That’s extremely important because it provides a fervor that would otherwise be lost and is the distinction between faith and hope.

2 Doesn’t faith have a similar kind of fervor?

1 It does but it’s powered by something different. Faith can have the same effect, but you are putting that blind commitment in an idea that you believe is so powerful – it can’t possibly fail.

2 People commonly say “there is always hope.” Does this seem to allow for the possibility of failure?

1 The added context makes it seem more like blind faith but this is not an intrinsic property of hope. On its own, hope is not guaranteed to succeed which makes it a bit more sobering than faith.

2 Let us recap then. What is faith?

1 Faith is putting your belief in an idea and sticking with that conviction no matter what, despite evidence or odds to the contrary.

2 And what is hope?

1 Hope is a desire for some outcome, despite evidence or odds to the contrary.