JacobDwelle

WaysofKnowing
4/2/2016
CriticalAnalysis:CliffordTheEthicsofBelief
WhatObligation?
TheEthicsofBeliefisanarticlethatseekstobringintoquestionanyandall
beliefsheldbyallpeople.Cliffordseekstoemphasizetheimportanceofevenone
unjustifiedbelief,oranyunjustifiedactionbasedonabelief,andwantstoestablishaway
ofknowingwhatistrueandjustifiedandwhatisnot.Theclaimbeingmadebytheauthor
isexplicitlystated.Onpage295,hesaysitiswrongalways,everywhere,andforany
one,tobelieveanythinguponinsufficientevidence.Cliffordsargument,whileIcan
seewhereitiscomingfrom,hassomeissuesandpresuppositionsthatneedtobe
addressed.UltimatelytheissuesassociatedwithCliffordandhisargumentistoogreatfor
metoacceptwhatheissayingtobetrueandorright.
BelowisthestructureoftheargumentthatispresentedbyClifford.Thereare
threemainpremisesandonemainclaim.Eachpremisehasatleastonesubpremisethat
isfoundinthetextinoneormoreplaces.
Premise1:Peoplehavenorighttohaveandactonunfoundedbeliefs
SubPremise1:Alwayshaveachoicetoactoutsideofyourbeliefset(p.291)
SubPremise2:Peopleneedplainrulestoacton,regardlessoftheirbeliefs
Premise2:Unfoundedbeliefsinvariablyleadtoharm
SubPremise1:Nobeliefsareinsignificant(p.292)
Premise3:Weasasocietydonotwishtocauseharm

SubPremise1:Allpeopleofsocietyhaveadutytopassdownworthybeliefs
(p.292)(p.293)
SubPremise2:Beliefsareforhumanity,andnotforus:theindividual.
Claim:Peoplehavenorighttohaveunfoundedbeliefs.
ThefirstpremiseisonethatItendtoagreewith,butalsoonethatIcouldsee
othersdisagreeingwith.Cliffordclearlystatedthatweshouldseektojustifybeliefs,so
thereisnowaytoargueagainsthisactivedefinitionofunfoundedbeliefsthatisto
saythattheveryideaofsomethingthatisunfoundedcouldbedisputedanddisagreed
uponbymanypeopleinmanyways.However,Idotakeissuewiththeuseoftheword
right,particularlywhenitcomestomypersonalautonomy,andtheautonomyofall
readers.
Cliffordclaimsthatpeopledonothavearighttohaveunfoundedbeliefs,toact
onthem,andsoon.However,hisideaofpeoplenothavingarighttodoastheypleaseis
basedonacollectivistworldviewthatistosaythattheindividualshouldnotseekout
personalwealth,notgreed,butrathersomethingthatbenefitssociety.Thisassumptionis
onethatisnotprovedbythetext.Infact,thereisasenseofhypocrisyinCliffordwhen
hedeclareswhattherightsofonepersonare:Whohasbestowedthisverypowerupon
Cliffordhimself?Theideathatrightsaredeterminedbysocietalpressurecouldbe
perceivedtobetrue,butcertainlynotuniversally,oranythingclose,andinsomeregard
thisbringstoquestionthefirstpremise.
Cliffordssecondpremisearguesthatunfoundedbeliefsinvariablyleadtoharm.
Thesebeliefscanbeassimpleasthecouchdisappearingwhenyouleavethelivingroom,

orthatfourleafcloversbringgoodluck.Eventhesebeliefsaretobebroughttoquestion.
Cliffordstatesthatunfoundedbeliefsultimatelyleaveroomformorebeliefstofindtheir
waysintothemind,whichwillleadtoharm.HereIagreewithClifford.Ultimatelyone
supportbeaminabuildingnotproperlyassembledandplacedcanleadtothebuilding
crashingdown,orattheleastexpeditingitsdegradation.Thesamecanbesaidofthe
mind,wherewefindthatunfoundedbeliefscanleadotherunfoundedbeliefs.
ThethirdpremiseistheoneItakethemostissuewith.Thethirdpremise,andI
believeittobefairlystated,hastwofactorsthatIwishtodisputethefirstbeingtheuse
ofthewordsociety,andthesecondbeingtheuseandactivedefinitionoftheword
harm.
Onceagain,weseeasomewhatcollectivistworldviewappear.Cliffordthinksthat
whateverisbestforthemostpeopleisbestforsociety.However,forexample,Clifford
hasnotproventhatthemoneygiventothemanwhoownedtheshipisinferiortothe
deathsofallofthepeoplepreviouslyonboard.Cliffordhassetupavaluesystem,which
lacksbothclarityanduniversality.Hehasestablishedaworldinwhich,forexample,
humanlivesareworthmorethanmoneyis.Objectivelyspeaking,thisisnotonlyfalse,
butcannotbeproventobetrue.Hepresupposesthevalueoflife,whichisa
presuppositionthatmanyarenotwillingtomake.
Cliffordsuseofthewordharmalsoappearstocauseissue.Hedoesnotdefine
thewordharm,nordoeshedeterminehowtoidentifyharm,orhowtoquantifyit.Any
sortofselfsurveyproposedispronetoerrorandextremebiasonbehalfofanyandall
victimsofaharmthatisdone.Moreover,becauseofthislackofdefinitionofharm,

Cliffordimmediatelyassumesthattheharmoftheliveslostontheshipintheexample
exceedstheharmdonetotheinsurancecompany,whichlostalargesumofmoney.Once
again,weneedsomewaytoquantifyharmthatisdone,and,ifsuchathingisnot
possible,thenwecannotagreethatCliffordsworldviewisthecorrectonetoabideby.
WehavenowseentheissuespresentedinCliffordsargument.Hisultimate
downfallisaninabilitytoquantifyandqualifywhathesays.Hisimpositionofwhathe
viewsashumanrightsare,inallreality,simplysteppingoverwhatothersviewastheir
ownrights.Finally,hiscollectivistworldview,thatistosaythingsalongthelinesofall
livesbeingequalandthattheneedsofthemanyoutweightheneedsofthefew,is
largelyunfounded,andpresupposedtobetheworldviewwhichbestserveshumanity.
However,becausethisisnotestablished,wearegivenonefinalreasontodisagreewith
Clifford.