Single Idea 19525

[catalogued under 11. Knowledge Aims / A. Knowledge / 4. Belief / c. Aim of beliefs]

Full Idea

If it is intellectually required that one try to believe all and only truths (as Chisholm says), ...then it is possible to believe some unsubstantiated proposition in a reckless endeavour to believe a truth, and happen to be right.

Gist of Idea

If the only aim is to believe truths, that justifies recklessly believing what is unsupported (if it is right)

Source

E Conee / R Feldman (Evidentialism [1985], 'Justification')

Book Reference

Conee,E/Feldman,R: 'Evidentialism' [OUP 2004], p.88


A Reaction

This implies doxastic voluntarism. Sorry! I meant, this implies that we can control what we believe, when actually we believe what impinges on us as facts.