more from Pascal Engel

Single Idea 4764

[catalogued under 13. Knowledge Criteria / C. External Justification / 5. Controlling Beliefs]

Full Idea

Direct psychological voluntarism about beliefs seems to be false, but we can have an indirect voluntary control on many of our beliefs, by manipulating the states in us that are involuntary and which lead to certain beliefs.

Gist of Idea

We cannot directly control our beliefs, but we can control the causes of our involuntary beliefs

Source

Pascal Engel (Truth [2002], §5.2)

Book Reference

Engel,Pascal: 'Truth' [Acumen 2002], p.134


A Reaction

Very nice! This points two ways - to scientific experiments, which can have compelling outcomes (see Fodor), and to brain-washing, and especially auto-brainwashing (only reading articles which support your favourites theories). What magazines do you take?