The Fuzzy Logic of Belief
The logic of belief is a big subject, which I am only just beginning to think about. The literature is vast, and I have read little of it, though I hope to rectify that. Still, I've been thinking about this subject, and I figured that recording my thoughts would help me sort things out. I hope it might be interesting to others. I continue to find the concepts belief and believe fascinating. It seems clear that you can believe only that which you are convinced is the case. To believe is to be convinced; to be convinced is to believe. Believing is not an additional step you take after being convinced. When you understand why the solution to an algebra problem is x=2, you don't then decide to believe it. It's the same with the conclusion of any syllogism. If you are convinced that the premises are true and you see that the logical inference is valid, then you automatically believe the conclusion. Here's what follows: you can't believe something you don't ...