We often talk about our "beliefs", but
what are beliefs? Are all beliefs equally valid or can they be classified? What
is the difference between belief and knowledge?
Rather than simply believe in things it would be ideal if we could give up
beliefs and deal with knowledge; however, knowledge itself is not a universally
accepted concept.
Knowledge has traditionally been defined as: a belief that is true and justified
to absolute certainty. Modern interpretations (20th century on),
however, treat knowledge as being: a belief that is both true and justified:
this was traditionally called "probable opinion" and avoids the problem
of "absolute certainty", which philosophers still disagree on.
Whether knowledge is classed as an absolute, or as a justified belief, is a
philosophical question. We can, though, classify beliefs into categories:
- Knowledge.
Knowledge can be described as dealing in facts. To absolutely know
something as fact, the fact has to be true and justified to certainty.
Example: The liquid metal Mercury is denser than water under standard
conditions. This proven knowledge could be taken by many as an indisputable
truth.
- Beliefs that are true and justified.
Similar to knowledge, although the need for absolute certainty is removed.
Something can be considered as true and justified if it is exceedingly unlikely
to ever be falsified.
Example: Scientific laws. Science involves theories that are potentially
falsifiable. Some theories have withstood attempts to prove then wrong so
rigorously that they become considered (a provisional) truth.
- Beliefs that are true but unjustified.
This is where someone may believe in something which is true, but they have
no justification for their belief.
Example: A cancer patient may strongly believe that they will make
a full recovery from the condition. They may do so, making the belief true,
but there is no justification for this belief: many people, unfortunately,
don't recover.
- Beliefs that are false but justified.
This is where someone believes in something that is false, although they have
justification for their beliefs.
Example: All sheep are white. This person may have seen many white
sheep and formed this conclusion; the belief is justified (although not true)
until they see a black sheep.
- Beliefs that are false and unjustified.
This is where a person believes in something that is false and they have no
justification in doing so, and may even hold beliefs despite contrary evidence.
Example: All sheep are purple. Such a belief may seem absurd considering
that no purple sheep have ever been seen, and that there is overwhelming evidence
that sheep are white or black.
Compare that example to belief in "young Earth creationism" where
people believe that God made the Earth in 4004BC. There is no evidence that
God exists and there is overwhelming evidence that the Earth has been in existence
far longer than 6,000 years.
It is often assumed by people that one belief is as good as any other. With
a logical classification of beliefs it is shown that beliefs can range from
(provisional) truth to being completely untenable.
As the term "belief" has a wide-ranging meaning, it often gets used
in fallacies of equivocation. The word can be used more than once, yet have
a different meaning each time. For example:
"scientists believe that the earth orbits the sun; and I believe
in the afterlife"
is typical of how the fallacy of equivocation occurs. In this example it could
be someone trying to prove that science is nothing more than a belief system,
or that belief in the afterlife is just as valid as believing that the earth
orbits the sun.
The use of the scientific/skeptical method when dealing with things leads us
in the direction of knowledge and forming beliefs that are true and justified.
The more we rely on dogma, intuition, wishful thinking, and with a disregard
for proper evidence, the more likely our beliefs will be false, unjustified,
or worse: both.
