more from this thinker
|
more from this text
Single Idea 3586
[filed under theme 13. Knowledge Criteria / C. External Justification / 2. Causal Justification
]
Full Idea
Justification requires logical rather than causal connections. That is the point of the slogan that only a belief can justify a belief.
Gist of Idea
Only a belief can justify a belief
Source
Michael Williams (Problems of Knowledge [2001], Ch.10)
Book Ref
Williams,Michael: 'Problems of Knowledge' [OUP 2001], p.122
A Reaction
It seems better to talk of 'rational' connections, rather than 'logical' connections. It isn't 'logical' to believe that someone despises me because their lip is faintly curled.
The
14 ideas
with the same theme
[justification needs a causal link from facts to beliefs]:
|
11052
|
Psychological logic can't distinguish justification from causes of a belief
[Frege]
|
|
3790
|
Causes of beliefs are irrelevant to their contents
[Wittgenstein]
|
|
3832
|
Causes (usually events) are not the same as reasons (which are never events)
[Searle]
|
|
8798
|
Vision causes and justifies beliefs; but to some extent the cause is the justification
[Sosa]
|
|
16279
|
General causal theories of knowledge are refuted by mathematics
[Lewis]
|
|
3795
|
Causal theories require the "right" sort of link (usually unspecified)
[Dennett]
|
|
2746
|
How can a causal theory of justification show that all men die?
[Dancy,J]
|
|
2747
|
Causal theories don't allow for errors in justification
[Dancy,J]
|
|
3569
|
In the causal theory of knowledge the facts must cause the belief
[Williams,M]
|
|
3567
|
How could there be causal relations to mathematical facts?
[Williams,M]
|
|
3586
|
Only a belief can justify a belief
[Williams,M]
|
|
3898
|
My belief that it will rain tomorrow can't be caused by its raining tomorrow
[Scruton]
|
|
6358
|
One belief may cause another, without being the basis for the second belief
[Pollock/Cruz]
|
|
10350
|
Cultures decide causal routes, and they can be critically assessed
[Kusch]
|