Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id OAA05025 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-bounces@mmu.ac.uk); Mon, 24 Sep 2001 14:13:10 +0100 Subject: Re: beliefs Date: Mon, 24 Sep 2001 08:32:27 -0400 x-sender: wsmith1@camail2.harvard.edu x-mailer: Claris Emailer 2.0v3, Claritas Est Veritas From: "Wade T.Smith" <wade_smith@harvard.edu> To: "memetics list" <memetics@mmu.ac.uk> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Message-ID: <20010924123310.AAA20437@camailp.harvard.edu@[128.103.125.215]> Sender: fmb-bounces@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
On 09/23/01 22:46, TJ Olney said this-
>but do the thought experiment. Would that
>wolf-raised person have beliefs? Do beliefs require language?
In my thought experiment, no and yes. And it would probably not survive,
although it would be a very smart wolf.
>Most people believe that the sun goes down in the west.
Once 'belief' is used as a word to mean 'convinced of the usual pattern'
it becomes a semantic quabble, and one I don't make. I only use belief to
mean a faith in an unproven thing. I don't believe the sun rises- I'm
just pretty sure it should, based on what we know.
To have a belief in a god (or any other non-evidence based theory, like
homeopathy), I don't need to be pretty sure it's there- I need a good
story told to me by a trusted authority or figure, like a parent or
community leader, and it's always a learned thing, this belief. And, yes,
I also need brain-washing, or any of the techniques thereof.
But, being pretty sure the sun will come up is experiential, and
pattern-based.
If you want to use 'believe' to mean 'pretty sure' and pattern-based,
fine. I don't, that's all.
I'm not arguing that infants and children don't become pretty sure of
things. That wolf child would become pretty sure about pain pretty quick,
because in my thought experiment, it gets eaten, early.
- Wade
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