[extropy-chat] I believe

[BillK]

On Sat Nov 08, 2003 09:33 pm Brett Paatsch wrote:
> There is nothing a rational person needs to use the
> word *believe* for. [Except to talk about the word as a meme
> and a danger] There are *heaps* of alternatives that a rational
> person can use. Look in any dictionary or thesaurus.
>
> It is a big mistake to keep using belief or to try and modify it, or
> sort out good beliefs from bad beliefs because that just suggests it
> sometimes maps to a valid referent. It doesn't. It doesn't because
> the person *using* it cannot be sure that others *hearing* it will 
> get the meaning that it was intended to have when they used it.
>

Brett has a point here, because according to the dictionary 'believe'
legally can be used in many different ways.

Meaning 1) (Which Brett objects to)
to follow a credo, to have a religious faith, to be a believer.
Usage: "When you hear his sermons, you will be able to believe also".

Meaning 2)
to credit with veracity.
Usage: "You cannot believe this man"
        "Should we believe a newspaper like the National Enquirer?".

Meaning 3)
to be confident about something.
Usage: "I believe that my income tax form has been completed correctly".

Meaning 4)
to accept as true, to take to be true.
Usage: "I believe his report"
        "He believes in mysticism"
        "We didn't believe his stories from the War".

Meaning 5)
to judge or regard, to look upon.
Usage: "I believe (think) he is very smart"
        "I believe (judge) that he is her boyfriend"
        "A racist believes (considers) such people to be inferior"


But, in my opinion, it is too restrictive to the English language to
force 'believe' into the straitjacket of Meaning 1. A religious context
would invoke Meaning 1, but in normal day-to-day conversation 'believe'
is used constantly with no religious connotations at all.

Although when someone says "I believe United will win the Cup" it is
debatable just how much religious fervor is invoked by football
supporters. ;)


BillK
(believing his opinion to be correct)