The Will to Believe and Other Essays in Popular Philosophy
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William James's "The Will to Believe and Other Essays in Popular Philosophy" explores the idea that it can be rational to believe in something even without complete evidence, particularly when the belief is a "live option" and the decision to believe is momentous. James, a key figure in pragmatism and functional psychology, argued that beliefs can shape reality and that our "passional nature" can play a role in determining what we choose to believe, especially in matters of faith and personal significance. He suggested that sometimes, acting on an unproven hypothesis can help make that belief come true.123
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pragmatismJames…believe in his famous essay “The Will to Believe” (1897). James argued that one may have a reasonable right to hold a religious or metaphysical belief (e.g., that there is a perfect, eternal, and personal aspect of the universe) when the belief in question would supply a vital psychological and…
Read More…believe in his famous essay “The Will to Believe” (1897). James argued that one may have a reasonable right to hold a religious or metaphysical belief (e.g., that there is a perfect, eternal, and personal aspect of the universe) when the belief in question would supply a vital psychological and…
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Western philosophyIndependent and irrationalist movements…theory of truth; in his The Will to Believe (1897), he asserted that human beings have a right to believe even in the face of inconclusive evidence and that, because knowledge is essentially an instrument, the practical consequences of a belief are the real test of its truth: true beliefs…
Read More…theory of truth; in his The Will to Believe (1897), he asserted that human beings have a right to believe even in the face of inconclusive evidence and that, because knowledge is essentially an instrument, the practical consequences of a belief are the real test of its truth: true beliefs…
Read More