Is belief a choice?

Originally posted by whodey

For all you know you could drop dead today and/or your life has been a complete waste of time up till now.[/b]

Same fate could befall a theist.

Originally posted by Ghost of a Duke
Same fate could befall a theist.

Of course. So what is your point?

Originally posted by Great King Rat
We seem to have a different idea concerning to meaning of the word "belief".

Why do you say my life has been a waste of time? What time has been wasted?

What objective scientific data proves you have spent your time well?

In fact, what is considered "good"? Assigning value to anything requires a belief system.

Originally posted by Great King Rat
According to myself of course.

Well here is hoping you function for a long time! 🙂

Originally posted by Ghost of a Duke
Same fate could befall a theist.

Funny you should say that since we all share the same fate, live and die. The beliefs we
live out either have meaning beyond this life time or not.

Originally posted by whodey
What objective scientific data proves you have spent your time well?

In fact, what is considered "good"? Assigning value to anything requires a belief system.

No, it doesn't require a belief system.

I am happy. That proves I am spending my time well. For being happy is by far my most important goal in life.

I also don't need scientific data for that, although happiness can be measured scientifically.

You clearly need some kind of belief system. Please don't project your wants and needs onto me.

Originally posted by KellyJay
Well here is hoping you function for a long time! 🙂

Thank you.

Although, as a Christian, wouldn't you rather see me get to heaven as soon as possible?

Originally posted by apathist
Do we use volition to determine our beliefs?

Worrying at the question, I came across this:

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/belief/

and now I have a headache.

Do we use volition to determine our beliefs?

Not directly, no. And not in a manner under which it would be fair to describe belief as choice-based. A belief is, basically, a certain type of propositional attitude wherein one takes the proposition to be true. So, by natural extension, beliefs are handcuffed to cognitive verisimilitude. And, generally, one cannot just pick and choose what one's cognition picks out as versimilitudinous or not. Generally, we just do not have that sort of control.

There are other senses, though, in which volition can play an influential, but indirect, role. One could choose, say, to enter into some program that one has reasons to think will eventuate in (or erode) some particular belief. One could choose, for example, to only consider or seek out certain sources of evidence or testimony; or one could choose to only associate with those of a certain prevailing attitude; or one could choose to only engage in activities that presuppose a certain prevailing attitude; or whatever. These are actions under direct volitional control, and they plausibly can influence subsequent trajectories of belief formation and maintenance. Whether or not it would be a particularly effective route of influencing belief is debatable: perhaps it would only work for limited types of belief and limited types of conditions regarding countervailing evidence. There is also a sense in which such activity amounts to complicity toward evidential bias/corruption when it is done with intentional focus, so it seems dubious that it would be justified from an epistemic standpoint; one might need to look to other types of justification for doing so. Lastly, of course, there are many ways in which our volitional efforts affect our epistemic environment and thus indirectly help determine our beliefs, but without the intentional focus to do so.

So if you are asking if we use volition to directly determine our beliefs, the answer is clearly no. We can, however, indirectly do so but probably with limited conditions for success and justifiability. And there is a further broader sense in which our volitional efforts have indirect impact on our environments for belief.

Originally posted by Great King Rat
No, it doesn't require a belief system.

I am happy. That proves I am spending my time well. For being happy is by far my most important goal in life.

I also don't need scientific data for that, although happiness can be measured scientifically.

You clearly need some kind of belief system. Please don't project your wants and needs onto me.

All that matters is your happiness?

People like you are a dime a dozen. Do you think this is a good attitude to have when it comes to the well being of others, or is this part of the problem?

Originally posted by Great King Rat
Thank you.

Although, as a Christian, wouldn't you rather see me get to heaven as soon as possible?

Yes, and that would be a long time too wouldn't it? 🙂

Originally posted by whodey
People like you are a dime a dozen. Do you think this is a good attitude to have when it comes to the well being of others, or is this part of the problem?

Can't the well being of others form part of what gives one happiness? Doesn't it for you?

Originally posted by LemonJello

Do we use volition to determine our beliefs?

Not directly, no. And not in a manner under which it would be fair to describe belief as choice-based. A belief is, basically, a certain type of propositional attitude wherein one takes the proposition to be true. So, by natural extension, beliefs are handcuffed to cognitive verisimilitude. ...[text shortened]... oader sense in which our volitional efforts have indirect impact on our environments for belief.

With man and I'm using the word man to describe each and everyone of us not just the
males. 🙂 Don't we run risks with this to our own hurt? For example with our political
process in America we *all not just some* tend to over look faults in those we feel like
minded with and tend to make a huge deal out of the faults of those we do not agree with,
to the point of accepting some nasty things in our guys while holding the other's feet to
the fire for the same things?

If this is a human trait wouldn't we do that with all things where we are sorting out what
is and is not true? Looking favorably towards the evidence we like and ignore that which
isn't pointing in our direction? That would make us all subject to accepting flaws and
in my opinion cause to migrate towards the herd that thinks like we do because it is
safe there in numbers *we think but that isn't always true*.

We would also tend to kick people out of our herd if they attempted to ruin our little
world views too. 🙄

I am including myself in this as well this isn't a statement to put down those I disagree
with.

Originally posted by whodey
All that matters is your happiness?

People like you are a dime a dozen. Do you think this is a good attitude to have when it comes to the well being of others, or is this part of the problem?

I never said that all that matters is my happiness. Would you like to go back to my post and read it again?

And yes, part of that happiness comes from seeing the world slowly get better.

Originally posted by whodey
All that matters is your happiness?

People like you are a dime a dozen. Do you think this is a good attitude to have when it comes to the well being of others, or is this part of the problem?

Most decent people - to varying degrees - define their own
happiness in terms of those around them; family, community,
country and even the human race. So I don't see pursuing
happiness as a selfish act - depends on the person. But
anyone questioning that would presumably be able to
achieve happiness regardless of his fellow man?

Originally posted by KellyJay
Yes, and that would be a long time too wouldn't it? 🙂

You tell me. Between the two of us, you're the expert.

Let's say my place in heaven was guaranteed. Would it be better for me to die right now?