文档介绍：: Problems of Philosophy
Prof. Sally Haslanger
October 1, 2001
Pragmatism and Ideology
I. Recap
Evidentialism (Clifford): "It is wrong always, everywhere, and for anyone, to believe anything upon insufficient evidence"
(p. 113)
Pragmatism (James): Faced with a genuine choice about what to believe, and where evidence does not decide the matter,
we are free to decide it however we want.
Öour passional nature not only lawfully may, but must, decide an option between propositions, whenever it is a
genuine option that cannot by its nature be decided on intellectual grounds. (127)
ï In the relevant cases, we are not pelled to believe p, but neither are we pelled to withhold
belief; it is rationally permissible to believe p or not believe p.
We considered James' argument that Clifford'mitment to evidentialism was based on "passion", not evidence,
suggesting that Clifford's evidentialism was self-defeating. But the self-defeat argument does not show that evidentialism
is false; nor does it show that pragmatism is true or preferable Are there other arguments for pragmatism?
II. Arguments for Pragmatism?
James not saying that we can believe anything we like. There are special contexts where passion is permitted. In particular
we must be faced with a "genuine choice". But what is special about these contexts that makes belief without evidenc