Last modified on May 18, 2024, at 04:05

Belief

A Venn diagram picturing the traditional definition of knowledge as justified true belief (That is represented by the yellow circle).

Belief is a conviction based on cultural or personal faith, morality, or values/facts. A person's beliefs help determine his worldview.

Belief is weaker than faith. While both are based in part on logic or evidence, faith goes beyond belief in realizing the unseen and achieving good based on it. "You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder." James 2:19.

Beliefs, knowledge and epistemology

See also: Epistemology

Epistemology is the analysis of the nature of knowledge, how we know, what we can and cannot know, and how we can know that there are things we know we cannot know. In other words, it is the academic term associated with study of how we conclude that certain things are true.[1]

Traditional View of Knowledge

See also: Knowledge

Knowledge is the sum of what is known.

Philosophical tradition going back as far as Plato characterises a proposition as known where it is, at a minimum:

1) Believed

2) That belief is "justified" and

3) it is true.

Most modern epistemology concerns itself with two problems, the adequacy of that definition and analysis of what it means for a belief to be "justified".

Scientific knowledge and falsifiability

See also: falsifiable

A concept is falsifiable if it is possible to show that it is false if it were false.[2] A concept that could not possibly be shown to be false, even if it were false, is not falsifiable.

To be considered scientific, a hypothesis must be "falsifiable", i.e., capable of being proven false. If no one, not even the supporters of the hypothesis, can think of a way the hypothesis might be proven false, then most scientists would agree that it is not part of science (see pseudoscience). However, the history of science is full of examples whereby supporters of various theories refused to consider the prospect that someone might prove them wrong.

Beliefs shaping people's actions and mindset

See also: Mindset

  • Knowledge, Belief, and Action, Chapter 5 of the 2020 book Seeing, Knowing, and Doing: A Perceptualist Account by Robert Audi, Oxford Academic website

Videos on the power of belief and on beliefs driving behavior:

Beliefs and the ABC model in psychology

See also: ABC Theory of Emotion

VeryWellHealth.com indicates in their article How the ABC Model Works in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy indicates: "The ABC (adversity, behavior, consequences) model is one of the main parts of rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT), a form of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). The ABC model is based on the idea that emotions and behaviors are not determined by external events but by our beliefs about them."[3]

The Decision Labs article The ABC Model indicates:

“ The ABC model is an mnemonic that represents the three stages that determine our behavior:
  • Activating events: a negative situation occurs
  • Beliefs: the explanation we create for why the situation happened
  • Consequences: our feelings and behaviors in response to adversity, caused by our beliefs

The ABC model is a technique used in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a form of psychotherapy that helps individuals reshape their negative thoughts and feelings in a positive way. CBT trains individuals to be more aware of how their thoughts and feelings affect their behavior, and the ABC model is used in this restructuring to help patients develop healthier responses.[4]

”

Beliefs and intellectual humility

See also: Intellectual humility

Intellectual humility can be understood as "involving the owning of one’s cognitive limitations, a healthy recognition of one’s intellectual debts to others, and low concern for intellectual domination and certain kinds of social status. It is closely allied with traits such as open-mindedness, a sense of one’s fallibility, and being responsive to reasons."[5] Intellectual humility also involves having a recognition that there are gaps in one’s knowledge and that some of one’s current beliefs might be incorrect.[6]

See also

External links

References

  1. ↑ "1", A Christian's Guide to Critical Thinking. Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 336. ISBN 1-59752-661-4. Retrieved on 16.2.2012. 
  2. ↑ Definition A Dictionary of Psychology, Andrew M. Colman, via encyclopedia.com
  3. ↑ How the ABC Model Works in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, VeryWellHealth.com
  4. ↑ The ABC Model, Decision Labs website
  5. ↑ What is Intectual Humility. Humility & Conviction in Public Life, University of Connecticut
  6. ↑ Predictors and consequences of intellectual humility, Nature Reviews Psychology. 2022; 1(9): 524–536. Published online 2022 Jun 27. doi: 10.1038/s44159-022-00081-9