Rosenberg's Argument Against Beliefs
April 20, 2013 at 3:34 pm
(This post was last modified: April 20, 2013 at 3:51 pm by Neo-Scholastic.)
Alex Rosenberg is an atheist and philosopher of science who maintains that if naturalism is true, then beliefs cannot exist. (How he can believe this is a mystery to me.) He is also the author of "The Atheist's Guide to Reality."Anyway, here is his argument:
1: If naturalism is true, then beliefs are brain states.
2: Brain states are physical configurations of matter.
3: Therefore, if naturalism is true, beliefs are physical configurations of matter.
4: In order to qualify as beliefs proper, they need to have the property of intentionality (i.e. to refer to or be "about" something)
5: Physical configurations of matter cannot, in virtue just of its physical structure, composition, location, or causal relation, be “about” another configuration of matter in the way original intentionality requires.
6: Therefore, if naturalism is true, beliefs cannot be "about" anything.
7: Therefore, if naturalism is true, there are not beliefs.
8: Naturalism is true.
9: Therefore, there are not beliefs.
and
10: If there are not beliefs, then there are not true or false beliefs either.
1: If naturalism is true, then beliefs are brain states.
2: Brain states are physical configurations of matter.
3: Therefore, if naturalism is true, beliefs are physical configurations of matter.
4: In order to qualify as beliefs proper, they need to have the property of intentionality (i.e. to refer to or be "about" something)
5: Physical configurations of matter cannot, in virtue just of its physical structure, composition, location, or causal relation, be “about” another configuration of matter in the way original intentionality requires.
6: Therefore, if naturalism is true, beliefs cannot be "about" anything.
7: Therefore, if naturalism is true, there are not beliefs.
8: Naturalism is true.
9: Therefore, there are not beliefs.
and
10: If there are not beliefs, then there are not true or false beliefs either.
