Content-type: text/html Downes.ca ~ Stephen's Web ~ Against Intellectualist Theories of Belief

Stephen Downes

Knowledge, Learning, Community

"Intellectualism is the view that the connection between belief and speech (and also conscious judgement) is to be prioritized." It is a popular position, especially among educators. I have sometimes referred to this view as 'cognitivism' (though there are some differences) and argued against it. This paper is a sustained and largely effective argument against it; the two commentators agree, and as a relatively clearly written paper it thus stands as representative of a general line of argument. The alternative is one in which "one on which all sufficiently sophisticated states with the appropriate action guiding role count as beliefs" - that is, we can have a belief, even if we cannot say what it is or represent it in some way, so long as it is evidence-sensitive and in some way regulates behaviour. Recognition is a classic instance of non-intellectual belief. Anyhow, like I say, this is a good clear read and will clean out your philosophical sinuses.

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Stephen Downes Stephen Downes, Casselman, Canada
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