Ethics of belief
It is always wrong for anyone to believe anything upon insufficient evidence
What are the three features of a genuine option for William James?
Genuine option: an option that is live, forced, and momentous
What is Descartes' question?
What, if anything, do I know with certainty?
Can I find a "stable" and "unshakeable" foundation for my knowledge?
What does it mean for something to be a self-verifying belief?
How is Descartes' belief "i am thinking now" self-verifying?
When a person S believes p is true, then, necessarily, p is true
If I am thinking now, then I've made it true that I'm thinking now. If you even try to call it into doubt, you've made it true (because doubting is a form of thinking)
Describe the two shipowner cases. How are they relevant to Clifford's rule?
Shipowner 1: the shipowner believes the ship is seaworthy and the ship sinks
Shipowner 2: the shipowner believes the ship is seaworthy and the ship does not sink
Clifford believes that the belief is morally wrong in both cases
Describe the difference between a forced and an avoidable option. Use examples
Forced: one must choose one or the other hypothesis
e.g.) believe god exists or don't believe god exists
Avoidable: one can avoid choosing altogether
e.g.) believe god exists or believe god doesn't exist
What are the two we focused on when discussing Descartes? (you don't need to explain these examples, just name them)
Skeptical scenario: a possible situation where you have the same evidence, but your belief is false
E.g.)
Dream Hypothesis
Evil Demon Hypothesis
Who is the author of today's reading? What is the title of the reading?
G.E. Moore
“Proof of an External World”
Which theorist and theory goes against Clifford's Rule?
William James
Pragmatism
What are two examples of self-fulfilling beliefs? What makes them "self-fulfilling"?
Positive self-talk before a big event
belief that people will like me
trust in democratic institutions
–believing these things, in some way, contributes to them being true. Thus, the belief fulfills itself
What is the Dream Hypothesis? What beliefs does it cast doubt on?
What beliefs does it not cast doubt on? (i.e., which beliefs "survive" this stage?)
DH: I am now asleep having a vivid dream
Doubts: sensory perceptions (e.g., I'm in a classroom, I'm wearing jeans, etc.)
Beliefs that survive: general beliefs that the external world exists and that shapes and colors exist
The belief that I have a material body
A priori beliefs
What trait does the author of today's reading point to? What does he think this proves?
"I have hands"
If I have hands, then I'm not a brain in a vat
What is a socially significant belief? What is the relevance to Clifford's rule?
a belief that can affect the welfare of other people
Clifford uses this concept to get to Clifford's Rule. He starts with the claim that it is always wrong to believe anything socially significant upon insufficient evidence; then he claims that all beliefs are socially significant
How does it support James' point?
When you have insufficient evidence for the existence of God, you should wager that God exists because you may get eternal reward at no cost. Wagering that God doesn't exist risks eternal punishment for no benefit
We sometimes have good reasons to believe something without sufficient evidence
What is the Evil Demon Hypothesis?
Which beliefs does it call into doubt? How?
EDH: I'm now being deceived by an all-powerful evil demon
Doubts: sense perception, other people exist, my body exists, the material world exists, a priori beliefs
Why does Clifford claim every belief is socially significant?
Affects our belief-forming habits (accept other beliefs with insufficient evidence)
Influences other people
GO1) No one facing a genuine option has sufficient evidence upon which to believe ––if they did have sufficient evidence, it wouldn't be a live option
GO2) It's not wrong for someone facing a genuine option to believe ––you must form a belief to gain goods such as personal success, truth, eternal life, etc.
GO3) Therefore, it's not always wrong to believe upon insufficient evidence
What does Descartes identify as his stable and unshakeable foundation for knowledge?
I am thinking now, therefore, I exist now
The Cogito:
C1) I am thinking now
C2) If I'm thinking now, then I exist now
C3) Therefore, I exist now