Comment by gghackernewsgg
1 hour ago
Personally, I consider "belief" from a practical or behavioral perspective: belief is the model of reality one actually operates from.
For example, when I walk on my kitchen floor, I don't have to tell myself: "the floor is structurally sound, it's safe to walk on it!" I just walk.
The fact that I just walk can be used to infer an infinite number of implied bleiefs that I've never verbalized until this moment. For example, I believe that:
1. The floor can support my weight.
2. The tiles aren't made of toxic materials.
3. I don't pay $$ by the step.
4. Walking on the floor doesn't cause my wife pain.
5. The floor isn't lava.
To refine my definition: a belief is what I implicitly take to be the case when generating my unforced expectations, reactions etc.
In her glass skywalk example, Gendler lays out the definitions roughly so:
1. "I know this skywalk is sturdy and safe" = Belief
2. The hesitancy to cross the skywalk = Alief
But to me:
1. "I know this skywalk is sturdy and safe" = knowledge
2. Hesitancy to cross it = the actual belief.
That's why in my vocavbulary it's perfectly fine to say: "I know it. But I don't believe it."
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