Single Idea 20191

[catalogued under 11. Knowledge Aims / A. Knowledge / 4. Belief / d. Cause of beliefs]

Full Idea

My position is that beliefs, like acts, arrange themselves on a continuum of degrees of voluntariness, ranging from quite a bit to none at all.

Gist of Idea

Some beliefs are fairly voluntary, and others are not at all so

Source

Linda Trinkaus Zagzebski (Virtues of the Mind [1996], I 4.2)

Book Reference

Zagzebski,Linda: 'Virtues of the Mind' [CUP 1996], p.66


A Reaction

I'm sure we have no idea how we came to hold many of our beliefs, and if we see a cat, nothing seems to intervene between the seeing and the believing. But if you adopt a religion, believing its full creed is a big subsequent effort.