Theorie of Knowledge, Monday, December 1
FINALS: 7:30 am--pm Monday--Wednsday
Thursday, 7:30am--5:00am

(Review) ON THE "CHOOSING" OF BELIEF:
(Choosing rather than having beliefs formed by conditioning throughout life.)
Descriptive Volitionism: It is psychologically possible.
Prescriptive Volitionism: Psychologically possible AND justified.
1--IS DESCRIPTIVE VOLITIONISM "TRUE"?
2--FOR ALL BELIEFS, OR ONLY SOME BELIEFS?
3--IS IT POSSIBLE TO SUSTAIN BELIEFS FORMED IN THIS WAY?
1)True (?) 2)True 3) True SOMETIMES
RATIONALIZATION--the motivation or desire to believe certain things.
motivation for belief: cause of rationalization
a) Trauma of facing death
b)ego damage
EVIDENCE FOR THE BELIEF--
a)sensory beliefs
b)scientific beliefs
c)moral...
d)historical...
CONCLUSION: Desire can play a role in the formation of beliefs.
IS IT "justifiable" (prescriptive) to believe things in this way?
Pojman: "No, it is not justified."
LOGIC of BELIEF ARGUMENT AGAINST VOLITIONISM
Pojman:1) To believe "P" is to accept "P" as true (P=proposition) ("True": Corresponding to the way things really are)
2) There is no logical connection between a person's desire and the way things are--
CONCLUSION: Believing on the basis of desire is IRRATIONAL.
PROPOSITION: "I have an immortal soul."
--There is no FACT supporting this, therefore it is an irrational belief--you desire to live forever, so you believe out of desire.
HOWEVER, Prescriptive theory tells us it is okay to allow desire to tip the proverbial scales of evidence and have a role in determination of belief--ARGUMENT IN FAVOR OF
PRESCRIPTIVE VOLITIONISM:
--perhaps people accomplish great things believing in irrationally optimistic concepts.
--IS haveing "true beliefs" INTRINSICALLY VALUABLE (valuable in and of itself)
or are they only valuable as a means to other goods?
QUESTION: "Blissful ignorance or Harsh reality?"