Single Idea 19223

[catalogued under 11. Knowledge Aims / A. Knowledge / 4. Belief / c. Aim of beliefs]

Full Idea

'Full belief' is willingness to upon a proposition in vital crises, 'opinion' is willingness to act on it in relatively insignificant affairs. But pure science has nothing at all to do with action.

Gist of Idea

We act on 'full belief' in a crisis, but 'opinion' only operates for trivial actions

Source

Charles Sanders Peirce (Reasoning and the Logic of Things [1898], I)

Book Reference

Peirce,Charles Sanders: 'Reasoning and the Logic of Things', ed/tr. Ketner,K.L. [Harvard 1992], p.112


A Reaction

A nice clear statement of the pragmatic view of beliefs. It is not much help in distinguishing full belief about the solar system from mere opinion about remote galaxies. Ditto for historical events.