Glossary - L.O.V.E.

Atheist Frontier - Questioning what's Real

Glossary - L.O.V.E.

(Follow this link to download the heart as a high-resolution SVG image.)

L.O.V.E. is an acronym for "Logical, Objective, Verifiable Evidence" that emphasizes the important aspects of Critical Thinking, and spells the word of a popular emotion which is cherished for its compassionate qualities that are also the ubiquitous fundamental building blocks of many life experiences ranging from the development of individual personal relationships to the natural formation of vast civilizations that are psychologically healthy.

These "pillars of L.O.V.E." highlight important aspects of examining claims and theories, are useful in questioning or re-examining generally or previously accepted data, and can also serve as an effective guide in differentiating between fact, fallacy, fiction, and plausibility:

Logical: Identifying or recognizing contradictions and fallacies is a logical first step because it's often the simplest aspect to consider. You can practice this by taking an interest in questioning claims, theories, and established facts, and doing so from a fresh perspective of "not knowing if the logical aspects of claims, theories, and established facts you're questioning have previously been considered" can simplify matters by isolating unnecessary details and eliminating biases.

Objective: Impartiality is an important aspect of objectivity because bias can impair clarity in human perceptions. The systematic elimination of bias can prove challenging when used against the subtlety of skillful and effective presenters, thus it is imperative that the focus be more on "what" is being presented as opposed to "how" it is being presented (interestingly, this is also an important quality of sage-like leadership).

Verifiable: Verification (e.g., as true or false, etc.) is often accomplished by replicating the necessary conditions and running experiments. The "Scientific Method" is one of the greatest tools for testing the validity of claims and theories, or re-examining previously established facts, and the peer-review process is a logical tool that helps to further eliminate the possibility of bias by objectively confirming or disqualifying conclusions, regardless of whether they're from entirely different points of view.

Evidence: If a claim, theory, or previously established fact successfully meets the criteria of Logic and Objectivity, and it can be Verified, then it may be classified as credible Evidence.

While "love" is a cherished emotion, "L.O.V.E." sometimes requires that we set our emotions aside momentarily for the skeptical purpose of critical thinking. This skepticism is actually a subtle form of care (which is a form of love) because, through a better understanding of reality, each person gets better opportunities to experience, and to truly enjoy, a more meaningful and fulfilling life.

The creation of L.O.V.E.

Inspired by a philosophical conversation on September 11, 2011 with some friends about how atheism is absent of dogmatic traditions because it is not a religion and that it is often also incorrectly assumed to be devoid of emotions such as love, this easy-to-remember acronym was created as a meaningful way to counter-act certain misconceptions about atheism while also promoting the primary aspects of critical thinking.

Merchandise

If you would like to wear L.O.V.E. on a shirt, or give a coffee mug with L.O.V.E. on it as a gift, you can order this (and other) merchandise from the Atheist Frontier store at http://www.atheistfrontier.com/merchandise/.