animal faith: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Very LowAcademic / Philosophical
Quick answer
What does “animal faith” mean?
A term coined by philosopher George Santayana (1923) referring to the instinctive, non-rational belief in an external world that organisms, including humans, must hold to function and survive.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A term coined by philosopher George Santayana (1923) referring to the instinctive, non-rational belief in an external world that organisms, including humans, must hold to function and survive.
The pre-conscious, biological trust that our senses report a real world, enabling practical action without requiring philosophical certainty. It can refer more broadly to any foundational, intuitive belief that underpins thought or action but cannot be logically proven.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant orthographic or syntactic differences. The concept is known primarily in academic philosophy in both regions.
Connotations
In both varieties, it carries strong connotations of 20th-century Western philosophy, critical realism, and epistemology. It is a term of art.
Frequency
Extremely rare in everyday language. Used almost exclusively in philosophical discourse, with similar low frequency in both UK and US academic contexts.
Grammar
How to Use “animal faith” in a Sentence
[Subject] relies on animal faith to [verb phrase]The [noun phrase] is an act of animal faithVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “animal faith” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- To act at all, we must animal-faith the world's existence (extremely rare, non-standard verbalisation).
American English
- He animal-faithed his way through the uncertainty (extremely rare, non-standard verbalisation).
adverb
British English
- He accepted the data animal-faithly, without scepticism (extremely rare, non-standard).
American English
- She proceeded animal-faithly into the experiment (extremely rare, non-standard).
adjective
British English
- The animal-faith belief in other minds is unavoidable (rare, attributive use).
American English
- Her approach was one of animal-faith pragmatism (rare, attributive use).
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not used.
Academic
Primary context. Used in philosophy papers, especially discussing epistemology, pragmatism, Santayana, or critical realism.
Everyday
Virtually never used. Would be misunderstood.
Technical
Used as a precise term in philosophical writing and discussion.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “animal faith”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “animal faith”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “animal faith”
- Using it to mean 'faithfulness of a pet'.
- Writing 'animal's faith'.
- Assuming it is a common phrase outside philosophy.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. It is a philosophical metaphor meaning the instinctive, pre-rational trust that an external world exists, common to all living organisms.
It is not recommended, as it is a highly specialised term. Most listeners would not understand its specific meaning.
Not exactly. Santayana saw it as the necessary foundation upon which all reasoning, including science, is built. Science assumes the world is real and knowable—an act of animal faith.
The Spanish-American philosopher George Santayana, in his 1923 book 'Scepticism and Animal Faith'.
A term coined by philosopher George Santayana (1923) referring to the instinctive, non-rational belief in an external world that organisms, including humans, must hold to function and survive.
Animal faith is usually academic / philosophical in register.
Animal faith: in British English it is pronounced /ˈæn.ɪ.məl feɪθ/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈæn.ə.məl feɪθ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Leap of animal faith (rare, derived from 'leap of faith')”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a dog instinctively trusting that the ground will be there when it takes a step—that's 'animal faith'.
Conceptual Metaphor
BELIEF IS AN INSTINCT (The abstract process of believing is conceptualised as a biological, animal drive).
Practice
Quiz
In which field is the term 'animal faith' primarily used?