Re: virus: Re: Definition of belief again

J. McVean (jmcvean@acs.ucalgary.ca)
Fri, 17 May 96 17:33:12 MDT


Bennedanti@aol.com wrote:
> How's this for a definition of belief:
> "To believe X is to refuse to doubt the validity of X, either on the basis of
> evidence (sensory or empirical) or out of an acquiescence to authority."
> Comments?

I think this is closer to a definition for "faith" or maybe
"foolishly-stubborn belief" than a definition for belief. I
believe that we won't get to Mars before the end of the century
but I certainly won't cling to that belief if I see remarkable
progress in space flight technology in the next couple years.
I don't mean to imply that one can't hold onto a belief dispite
overwhelming evidence to the contrary, but that would be a
specific kind of beleif--the foolishly-stubborn kind.

Jason... giving the horse carcass another whack.