(December 17, 2019 at 4:17 pm)maxolla Wrote:(December 17, 2019 at 4:07 pm)Simon Moon Wrote: Beliefs are not a choice, they are a result of being convinced. Belief is acquired through being convinced of a proposition.
Not matter how hard I try to chose to belief that I am able to fly, I am unable to believe.
There is no evidence missing for the existence of wind. Wind itself may not be visible, but the effects of it certainly are visible. I do not chose to believe wind exists, I am convinced it exists based on massive evidence. I can not chose to believe wind does not exist.
If one says they make the choice of believing a proposition, it is my contention that, either they misunderstand the process of belief, or they are fooling themselves into thinking they believe.
Belief is defined by cognitive scientists and philosophers of mind as; the psychological state in which one is convinced that a premise or proposition is true, or likely true.
HOw can I chose to be convinced? Either i am convinced, or I am not.
" Belief is chosen through faith in experiences, knowledge, and evidence gathered.” Belief and disbelief are two options when proposed with a premise. We as people choose which premises are true based on the evidence. Someone makes a positive statement of what is fact I have a choice to believe it or not to believe it (belief or disbelief). Again I contend, we choose our beliefs.
I do not think you are choosing to believe. I think what you are describing, is choosing what types of evidence will convince you to believe.
Once you decide one what you consider good standards of evidence that will convince you, then you believe.
You'd believe if you just opened your heart" is a terrible argument for religion. It's basically saying, "If you bias yourself enough, you can convince yourself that this is true." If religion were true, people wouldn't need faith to believe it -- it would be supported by good evidence.
