Adam Perkins
Dec 6

Review notes for final exam

Four beliefs that become fixed says Pierce
1. Method of Tenacity
2. Method of Authority
3. A priori
4. Method of Science(Pierce believes is best)

Pierce pushes aside skeptical questions about the external world.

Compare clifford, james and kiekegaard on whether its permissible to believe a proposition without sufficient evidence.
Clifford- Never
James- Three circumstances
Kierkegaard- Alot of situations

What are Clifford examples of the shipowner and baseless rumor supposed to suggest.
That you are always wrong to form beliefs without sufficient evidence.
Bad in and of themselves no matter what
Tends to produce bad consequences, but you got lucky.

Clifford says that insignificant beliefs will lead to action then belief is spread like a virus.

Clifford would say that a person beliefs are not his own business, but are public they have an effect on the world.

The three criteria james says you must have for believing without sufficient evidence.
Momentous, Living and forced
Examples. Religious beliefs, humans are good.

Pascals Wager Idea is to gamble believing in god because you cannot lose, if you don't believe in god you can lose and at best break even.

The downside of suspending judgement is that you miss out on life.

The relationship between passion and objective truth according to Kiekegaard is that they oppose each other.
Clifford thinks The more objectivity the more passion
James- Agrees with Kiekegaard

Two ways of defining a miracle
1. Unusual occurence
2. Something supernatural

Humes argument against miracles is the laws of nature have no exceptions a miracle is a exception so a miracle cannot exist.

It conflicts with his argument on cause and effect.

The principle of credulity is that you believe someone because you have no evidence not to.
The instructor suggest that hume is right about extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.

The problem with subjectivity is that how do you know that it is true.