What might be philosophically interesting is the extent to which a belief must be held positively... perhaps a new thread. — Banno
We really should move all this off Sam26's thread. — Banno
284. People have killed animals since the earliest times, used the fur, bones etc.etc . for various purposes; they have counted definitely on finding similar parts in any similar beast.
They have always learnt from experience; and we can see from their actions that they believe certain things definitely, whether they express this belief or not. By this I naturally do not want to say that men should behave like this, but only that they do behave like this.
285. If someone is looking for something and perhaps roots around in a certain place, he shows that he believes that what he is looking for is there.
I'm still struggling to understand what motivated Witt to advocate the idea that all knowledge needed to be dubitable. — creativesoul
285. If someone is looking for something and perhaps roots around in a certain place, he shows that he believes that what he is looking for is there.
I just do not see that these support the invention of a special category of beliefs that would be entitled to the label "prelinguistic" or "nonlinguistic" — Banno
I'm still struggling to understand what motivated Witt to advocate the idea that all knowledge needed to be dubitable.
— creativesoul
Justified true belief. — Banno
I mentioned before that there seems to me that there is something a bit unfair in sugesting that I ought produce empirical evidence. Look at what you just quoted - and flip it to what you might be arguing - is it that you wish to argue that every belief can be thought of as equivalent to some neural architecture?
Because that's a hair's breadth away from the all-and-some proposition that for every belief there is some equivalent neural architecture.
In virtue of their logical structure, such propositions are neither provable nor disprovable. — Banno
What I am objecting to is your calling that neurological explanation, in every case, a belief. — Banno
So if there were beliefs that did not directly influence behaviour...? — Banno
If you are going to appeal to an authority you had best reference it. — Banno
Has he lost his belief that this surface is solid, or has he lost his belief that any surface is solid? OR have you just "deleted" the concept of solidity....? — Banno
But, poor monkey! — Banno
I suspect that you believe that my house has a front door, and yet had not given that belief any consideration until just now. — Banno
Would you agree with the idea that all we have to work with is our perception of reality... our perception(representation, if you like) of the tree. That seems to be underwriting your position.
Am I mistaken about that? — creativesoul
you might have to explain this in a bit more depth. — Isaac
So if there were beliefs that did not directly influence behaviour...?
— Banno
What would be an example of such a belief? This may well hinge upon what we each mean by belief. I take it to mean 'a tendency to act as if...'. — Isaac
Isn't all this just recognising that words are used in language games? The original doesn't have any greater claim to authenticity does it? — Isaac
But to our case, the assertion that for every belief there exists some neural equivalent is in that class. If you say "here is a belief for which there is no neural equivalent", I might reply that there is, it's just that we haven't found it yet. So the proposal is not falsifiable. And yet it is also not provable, because one cannot provide an exhaustive list of beliefs. — Banno
if you are going to use the word one way, you can't come back and tell those who use it differently that they are wrong. — Banno
I think it goes without saying - despite my having to say it - that there is no particular neural network that in some sense corresponds to or represents my cat's taking it that the floor is solid. — Banno
That he takes it to be the case that the floor is solid is not something that is represented in a part of my cat's brain. — Banno
A belief is not an item of mental furniture. — Banno
No! A belief is not a mental state. — Banno
if you are going to use the word one way, you can't come back and tell those who use it differently that they are wrong.
— Banno
This is quite disingenuous. Look back over our exchange... — Isaac
Time passed, folk talked about beliefs as if they were things we had... — Banno
Do you think it is possible that Witt was making a concerted effort to make sense of Moore's knowledge claim while remaining consistent? — creativesoul
Do you agree with my earlier explanation regarding Moore's language use? Was he showing you what he believes or was he showing you what his belief is about? — creativesoul
Get involved in philosophical discussions about knowledge, truth, language, consciousness, science, politics, religion, logic and mathematics, art, history, and lots more. No ads, no clutter, and very little agreement — just fascinating conversations.