The Ethics of Belief.pdf

The Ethics of Belief ? If scepticism about the external world is true, should we, therefore, suspend belief about the world – i.e. neither believe nor disbelieve what the senses tell us? ? Well, perhaps we should IF we wish to believe only what is true. ? That is Descarte’s provisional conclusion, and Unger’s is that we cannot claim certainty. 1 The Ethics of Belief ? Clifford wants to argue for an even stronger conclusion: We have a moral obligation not to believe if we do not have sufficient evidence. ? So, if Unger is right, we can go ahead and believe that there is an external world, but we are ought not believe that we can be certain of it. 2 The Ethics of Belief ? Clifford gives some examples of cases where accepting propositions on insufficient evidence has genuinely harmful consequences. ? Then he argues that this extends to all cases of beliefs. 3 The Ethics of Belief ? A belief is, by its very nature, something that guides our actions. Even insignificant beliefs will have consequences on how we behave. ? No belief is a private matter. Our beliefs are formed, in part, by social forces and themselves contribute to forming others’ beliefs. 4 The Ethics of Belief ? Because of these two facts, any belief we have, no matter how seemingly insignificant, no matter who holds it, potentially has an impact on the well being of others. ? “No simplicity of mind, no obscurity of station can escape the universal duty of questioning all that we believe” 5 The Ethics of Belief ? But knowing is a very desirable state. It gives us a sense of power over our circumstances, whereas we are powerless and afraid if we don’t know. ? This is because in order to know how to act, we need to have information – know what is true. Creatures without correct information about the world die out before reproducing their kind. 6 The Ethics of Belief ? Because knowledge is power, we have a great incentive to come to settled, secure, views about everything.