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Single Idea 6358

[filed under theme 13. Knowledge Criteria / C. External Justification / 2. Causal Justification ]

Full Idea

If I fall flat on my back running to a class, my belief that I was late for class may cause me to have the belief that there are birds in the trees, but I do not believe the latter on the basis of the former.

Gist of Idea

One belief may cause another, without being the basis for the second belief

Source

J Pollock / J Cruz (Contemporary theories of Knowledge (2nd) [1999], §2.3.1)

Book Ref

Pollock,J.L./Cruz,J: 'Contemporary Theories of Knowledge (2nd)' [Rowman and Littlefield 1999], p.36

A Reaction

A nice example, which fairly conclusively demolishes any causal theory of justification. My example is believing correctly that the phone ring is from mother, because she said she would call. Maybe causation is needed somewhere in the right theory.

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]