Im always fascinated when someone says something that indicates the idea that belief is a matter of conscious choice - I decide what I believe or you can believe what you want or well, if thats what you want to believe. Even after discussion to clarify solid definitions for academic purposes and logical proof that choosing to form a belief is impossible, most people Ive encountered have remained quite convinced that what they do or dont believe is entirely up to them. That the misconception itself it so widespread is interesting enough, but even more interesting, I think, is why some people believe it do deeply, or perhaps why they cling so defensively to the idea. At times Ive thought it might be related to the importance of the concept of freedom in our society - that the idea of being free to choose is so crucial to us that we assign a sense of choice to things that arent choice at all. It occurs to me that it could also be a matter of resisting being controlled, based on a reflexive idea that anything you dont choose is chosen by another. I suppose it could also just be imprecise use of language, where people use words like choose or choice without actually intending to imply a conscious act... But, again, in most cases where Ive had this discussion with someone, Ive taken care to establish definitions - what believe and choice mean for the purposes of this discussion... If we agree that, in this conversation, believe means to know something is true, with little or no doubt, and choose or choice means to consciously select one or the other from a field of options, as a matter of intellectual will and effort, do you think what you do or dont believe is a matter of choice?
Posted on: Sun, 17 Aug 2014 19:50:25 +0000
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