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Section 3:
MW, 11:20 a.m.–12:35 p.m., Jennison 407
Section 7:
MW, 5:00 p.m.–6:15 p.m., Jennison 407
 Philosophy 101
Problems of Philosophy
Bentley College
Fall 2004
 		Instructor: Miles Rind
Office: Morison 114
MW, 10:10–11:10
E-mail
Personal home page

Assignment for Monday, September 27

Reading:
  1. William K. Clifford, "The Ethics of Belief" (PDF file)
  2. Anthony Weston, A Rulebook for Arguments, Introduction (pp. xi–xiv), ch. 1 (pp. 1–9), and ch. 6 (pp. 40–52)
Notes and questions:
  1. In what follows, I will use the following notation to cite specific paragraphs: "p." + page number + "." + paragraph number, counting from the top of the page. Thus, e.g., "p. 2.3" would refer to the third paragraph on p. 2—the one beginning "It may be said."
  2. What general point is Clifford making in his two imaginary examples of the irresponsible shipowner (p. 1) and the overzealous accusers (p. 2)? (You may find the best formulation of an answer at p. 3.5.) Do you find the examples adequate to prove his point? How would Clifford's position apply to President Bush's handling, before our invasion of Iraq, of intelligence that supposedly indicated that Iraq possessed chemical and biological weapons, and that it was trying to acquire nuclear (a.k.a. "nucular") ones? (I do not intend to spend class time on this last question, but I hope that you will think about it.)
  3. How does Clifford reply to the objection that the shipowner and the accusers did nothing wrong in believing what they did, but merely in how they acted on their beliefs (pp. 2–3)? Do you find his reply compelling?
  4. On what grounds does Clifford claim that a belief acquired on insufficient evidence is "sinful," and that we ought to "guard ourselves from such beliefs as from a pestilence" (p. 4.4)? What do such beliefs do to us, according to Clifford, that is such an evil? (Be sure to take account of the paragraphs that follow, pp. 4.5–5.2.)
  5. What is Clifford's position on how one should receive religious doctrines (p. 6)?
  6. (On section II:) Clifford poses the question: "Shall we steal and tell lies because we have had no personal experience wide enough to justify the belief that it is wrong to do so?" (p. 6.5 (not counting quotations as paragraphs)). What is his reply to this question? How, in Clifford's view, do received moral views differ from unexamined prejudices?
  7. (On section III:) On what grounds does Clifford believe that we are justified in believing propositions that extend beyond our own experience?


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