Single Idea 17770

[catalogued under 13. Knowledge Criteria / B. Internal Justification / 3. Evidentialism / a. Evidence]

Full Idea

Endorsing Clifford's dictum threatens to undermine our right to hold many of our most cherished beliefs about morality, politics, and philosophy, for these are domains in which it is notoriously difficult to secure consensus.

Gist of Idea

Clifford's dictum seems to block our beliefs in morality, politics and philosophy

Source

Tim Bayne (Thought: a very short introduction [2013], Ch.7)

Book Reference

Bayne,Tim: 'Thought: a very short introduction' [OUP 2013], p.98


A Reaction

I would say that those beliefs are amenable to evidence, but the evidence is often highly generalised, which is what makes those subjects notoriously difficult. The existence of a convention is a sort of evidence.

Related Idea

Idea 6587 It is always wrong to believe things on insufficient evidence [Clifford]