BELIEF is not complicated. (Introduction)

by Cary Cook , Monday, June 02, 2008, 02:00 (6017 days ago) @ dhw

>Firstly, although belief may be the basis of action, I don't see how it can be called a decision to act. - I admit that the term belief is not often called or thought of as a decision to act. But a decision to act is the basis of what's implied by the concept, belief-2.
Suppose I say, "X is true. Believe me." Am I telling you to do something voluntary or involuntary? Obviously it makes no sense to ask or command someone to do something involuntary. Any request or command is a request or command to do a voluntary act.
Before the act comes the decision to act. The decision is the act of trust, even if immediate circumstances prevent the act from being done. But it must be the decision immediately preceding the action. E.g. the decision to pull the trigger counts as attempted murder, even if external circumstances prevent the attempted murderer from pulling it. Therefore the decision is the basis, not the act. But if you decide to do something a minute from now, but then a minute from now you decide not to do it, that doesn't count as belief-2, because you reversed your own decision.
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>Let me be tiresomely conventional and adapt a dictionary definition in order to clarify what I understand by belief: acceptance that something is true, real, or has other qualities, underpinned by an emotional or spiritual sense of certainty and/or by a probability judgment. Lacks the certitude of knowledge, although the two concepts are sometimes confused, and the borders are indistinct. Perhaps it would be helpful if you were to say why this is unsatisfactory. - It's unsatisfactory because the two concepts are sometimes confused, and the borders are indistinct. Perhaps it would be helpful if you were to say why this is satisfactory. - In fact it didn't even correctly identify the right two concepts.
But if you WANT unclarity, there's no point in us talking.