• Home Page
  • Wk Clifford The Ethics Of Belief Summary

Wk Clifford The Ethics Of Belief Summary

Improved Essays
Show More
In “The Ethics of Belief,”W. K. Clifford argues that a credulous person is harming society by being credulous. Clifford provided two stories to explain his argument. the first story talks about a ship owner that has an old ship that has full of immigrants to be sent to sea and he believed that his ship was stable to be at sea but it wasn't and the ship sank with the people in it. The second story talks about an island where a religious group accusing children of wresting the laws of their country so they can remove the children from the care of their natural and legal guardians and even taking them away and keeping them concealed from their friends and relations. These two stories that he provided, I agree that credulity is harmful in those

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Analysis Of De La Torre's Book 'Doing Christian Ethics From The Margins'
    • 1240 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Analysis Of De La Torre's Book 'Doing Christian Ethics From The Margins'

    De La Torre’s book Doing Christian Ethics from the Margins contributes to the ever growing number of Christian voices on the margins that seeks to challenge the dominant Eurocentric culture in the United States. Although this work is largely geared towards the classroom, it is a work that challenges all people to think and act theologically and ethically from an oftentimes neglected perspective, that of the disenfranchised or those who reside on the margins. To begin, De La Torre has the reader to critically think about the environment in which students study, the classroom. He writes, “The classroom is appropriately named, for it is indeed a room of class – a room where students learn the class they belong to and the power and privilege…

    • 1240 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Superior Essays

    Analysis Of Practical Companion To Ethics By Anthony Weston
    • 867 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Analysis Of Practical Companion To Ethics By Anthony Weston

    Anthony Weston is an American Philosopher, teacher, and writer. He has written a book titled “Practical Companion to Ethics” that does discus Ethics, Religion, and Creative Problem-Solving in Ethics. Weston also discusses constructive moral dialogue. Constructive moral dialogue is concepts and ideas that makes our relationship with others easier. It allows us to get along with others that have different beliefs and concepts.…

    • 867 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    What Is Nathaniel Ward's Argument Against Religious Toleration?
    • 932 Words
    • 4 Pages

    What Is Nathaniel Ward's Argument Against Religious Toleration?

    When the Puritans sailed over to the New World from England so they could purify The Church, they were threatened by many who argued for religious toleration within the community. Although Nathaniel Ward, who was against toleration, fought tirelessly to save all Puritan beliefs with his written works and legal codes, men like Roger Williams and his arguments in support of religious toleration and separation of civil government and religion surpass any attempt made against him. . Being born to a Puritan minister, it was almost certain Nathaniel Ward would soon follow behind his father’s footsteps even after becoming a practicing lawyer in England. Once he became a clergyman he was soon dismissed from office for not conforming and at a late age during the year of 1934 sailed to the Puritan community in Massachusetts Bay Colony where he became a prevalent member of the church because of his good educated background. It was here where Ward would spend the rest of his life fighting against religious toleration and keeping the Puritan religion pure against all the stacking odds against the church in the years to follow.…

    • 932 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Robert Merrithew Addams: A Modified Divine Command Theory Of Ethical Wrongness
    • 1014 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Robert Merrithew Addams: A Modified Divine Command Theory Of Ethical Wrongness

    The article written by Robert Merrithew Addams, A Modified Divine Command Theory of Ethical Wrongness, expresses a unique view of the Divine Command Theory in which Addams has modified to answer certain controversial issues. The main controversy being towards the theory’s implications of ethical wrongness and the different situations it can be applied. In Plato’s, Euthyphro, the controversy can be seen through the statement, “… nor the pious the same as the god-loved,” (70). This argument presents questions of what applies towards someone’s beliefs in God. Furthermore, the original theory, according to Addams, implies a connection between “wrong,” and “contrary towards God’s commands,” (39).…

    • 1014 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    James Rachels And Stuart Rachel's The Elements Of Moral Philosophy
    • 1196 Words
    • 5 Pages

    James Rachels And Stuart Rachel's The Elements Of Moral Philosophy

    In chapter 9 of James Rachels and Stuart Rachels The Elements of Moral Philosophy, the authors elaborate on the philosophical question, whether there are absolute moral rules. In order to illustrate the philosophical moral question, Rachels uses President Harry Truman’s dilemma on the use of atomic bombs to end World War II and in the process comes in contact with Elizabeth Anscombe, a 20th century foremost philosophical champion of the doctrine that moral rules are absolute, the theory of categorical imperative, Kant’s arguments on lying to make the case on moral judgments. First, the Rachels’ use President Harry Truman’s encounter with Elizabeth Anscombe, a 20th century foremost philosophical champion of the doctrine that…

    • 1196 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Clifford's Argumentative Analysis
    • 1154 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Clifford's Argumentative Analysis

    Clifford and James are two philosophers who have contradicting opinions on whether having sufficient evidence is always necessary to believe in something. Where Clifford believes you cannot believe in anything without sufficient evidence, James believes that if the evidence doesn’t point in one way or another, it is justified to believe something based on our will. I will be arguing that James’ side is indeed correct. In James’ paper, he provides concrete evidence as to why his opinion is correct.…

    • 1154 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Essay On Naturalized Epistemology
    • 597 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Essay On Naturalized Epistemology

    Justifying belief and what is knowledge’s nature and scope is well defined by the philosophical stance of “naturalized epistemology” in that knowledge comes from the empirical sciences though it’s application of theory, methods and results. Knowledge comes from proving things. This is different from the classical foundationalism which asserts the need to basic belief from which other beliefs can be built on. This essay will discuss the distinctiveness of naturalized epistemology, then how it differs from classical foundationalism and conclude with why it is referable. It should be noted that both systems of knowledge have many variations and so this short essay is more a general discussion.…

    • 597 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Superior Essays

    Analysis Of R. G. Frey's Moral Standing, The Value Of Life
    • 1239 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Analysis Of R. G. Frey's Moral Standing, The Value Of Life

    Your grandfather’s Alzheimer’s has progressed to such a degree that his mental capabilities are no more than those of a lab rat. Scientists are in need of test subjects, so your grandpa is shipped off to a facility where they test unregulated amounts of drugs, makeup, and shampoos on him. R. G. Frey uses this example of testing on cognitively impaired humans throughout his piece, “Moral Standing, the Value of Lives, and Speciesism.”. This paper will outline Frey’s arguments on why human life generally has more value than animal life and highlight the exceptions to the rule that justify the mentioned scenario, while also presenting objections to the unequal value thesis and evaluating those oppositions with respect to humans with cognitive disabilities…

    • 1239 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Clifford Insufficient Evidence Essay
    • 1048 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Clifford Insufficient Evidence Essay

    Clifford states that it is always wrong to believe something with insufficient evidence. This quotation helps to demonstrate the view that justifies belief depending upon having good reasons or evidence. His firm belief in evidentialism, which means without certainty and a solid basis of evidence and knowledge of a situation you, should never put fully believe it. Meanwhile reformed epistemology states that you can rationalize the belief of god based upon given evidence. Reformed epistemology use of both faith and minimal evidence to justify their beliefs is not reasonable.…

    • 1048 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Clifford Doubt Analysis
    • 231 Words
    • 1 Pages

    Clifford Doubt Analysis

    I agree with Clifford statement because people who are credulous are so quick to believe something that they don’t know for sure is even completely true. That can harm the credibility of the people that the lies are being spoken about. The men who claimed that their objectors were doing in honorable things and had the townsmen believing there lies on no sufficient evidence prove that being credulous is harmful. Their acts, although they might have had strong reason to have such reasoning, ruined not only their reputation but their objector’s credibility. It is the reason of doubt that is brought about credulous people is what’s harmful to society.…

    • 231 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Theme Of Selfishness In The Crucible
    • 1091 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Theme Of Selfishness In The Crucible

    Since the beginning of time, humans have been generally selfish people. When put in dangerous situations, the human race tends to be selfish, as in that moment all that matters is surviving. However, this selfishness can result in immoral decisions, potentially hurting others as a result of these selfish decisions. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, selfishness plays a key role as to why innocents are put to their deaths because of other people’s desire to prosper in society. The characters in the story are able to put their morals aside, and create false accusations putting others in danger for their own benefit.…

    • 1091 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Chris Mccandless Transcendental Beliefs Essay
    • 717 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Chris Mccandless Transcendental Beliefs Essay

    Through Chris McCandless’s life and the teachings and writings of Thoreau, readers come to understand the philosophy of Transcendentalism. Transcendentalism is formed on the belief that human beings have self wisdom. It also deals with the betterment of self. Nature also plays a big part of this as well. The Transcendental beliefs that Chris McCandless follows under the teachings of Thoreau are self- wisdom, freewill, and individualism.…

    • 717 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Philippia Foot's Theory Of Ethics And Moral Beliefs By Philippa Foot
    • 1508 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Philippia Foot's Theory Of Ethics And Moral Beliefs By Philippa Foot

    A trolley is moving down a track. The trolley can not be stopped, but it a nearby switch is able to move the trolley from one track to another. One track has five people, and the other has one. Flipping the nearby switch will cause the one person to die while leaving the switch alone will mean the five people will die. The question is: what would you do?…

    • 1508 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Martin Luther King's The Objective Basis Of Morality
    • 1283 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Martin Luther King's The Objective Basis Of Morality

    “Morality cannot be legislated, but behavior can be regulated. Judicial decrees may not change the heart, but they can restrain the heartless” (Martin Luther King Jr.). This quote by King describes how morality cannot ultimately be dictated by laws, but behavior can be. True morality comes from the heart and laws won’t cause someone have a morality change. Moral behavior is very often influenced by both religion and laws in the way that religion can make people think they may be punished in the afterlife for certain actions, laws, and both religion and laws have things that are prohibited that really aren’t “wrong”.…

    • 1283 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Ethics And Intuitions By Peter Singer
    • 1173 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Ethics And Intuitions By Peter Singer

    In his 2005 paper “Ethics and Intuitions,” Peter Singer seeks to find a new role for intuitions in moral theorizing in light of studies by Jonathan Haidt and Joshua Greene, which seem to cast doubt on the reliability of moral intuitions. These studies suggest that much of our moral reasoning is less based in rationalizing and more based in instinctual “gut” reactions, and that these instincts can be explained in terms of their evolutionary history. Further, Greene in particular demonstrates that these moral instincts can be manipulated in order to give contradicting reports, suggesting that moral intuitions are unreliable. Singer, noting how moral theorists have thus far been unable to give an account of morality without relying on moral intuitions,…

    • 1173 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More

Related Topics

Ready To Get Started?
Discover
Company
Follow
©2024 Cram.com
Privacy Policy |  About Ads |  Site Map |  Advertise  | 
  • Cookie Settings