TIM’S SKEPTIC MANIFESTO EVER BEEN TO A FAIR WHERE THEY HAVE A JAR FILLED WITH GUMBALLS AND WE ARE TO GUESS THE NUMBER? YOU AND I WILL AGREE THAT THE NUMBER IS EITHER ODD OR EVEN. THE DEFAULT POSITION IS NEUTRAL. THERE’S NO WAY EITHER OF US CAN KNOW. IF YOU ASSERT THAT THE NUMBER OF GUMBALLS IN THE JAR IS EVEN, YOU HAVE THE BURDEN OF PROOF. THIS IS “BELIEF –VS– I DON’T KNOW”. BELIEF IS THE ACCEPTANCE OF A PROPOSITION AS BEING TRUE OR LIKELY TRUE. I DON’T KNOW IS...WELL...I DON’T KNOW. IF I REJECT YOUR ASSERTION THAT THE NUMBER IS EVEN, IF I DISBELIEVE YOUR CLAIM, I’M NOT ASSERTING THAT THE NUMBER OF GUMBALLS IS ODD. NOR DO I CLAIM THAT YOUR ASSERTION IS FALSE, ONLY THAT I DON’T BELIEVE THAT IT’S TRUE. I WITHHOLD BELIEF UNTIL I’M CONVINCED BY REASON AND EVIDENCE. I WANT TO BELIEVE AS MANY TRUE THINGS AS POSSIBLE AND REJECT AS MANY FALSE THINGS FOR THE SAME REASON...BECAUSE BELIEFS INFORM OUR ACTIONS.
Posted on: Sat, 08 Jun 2013 04:18:54 +0000