出刊年月/Date of Publishing

2010.09

所屬卷期/Vol. & No.   第40卷第3期 Vol. 40, No. 3

類型/Type                 研究論文 Research Article

篇名/Title
The Ethics of False Belief
錯誤信念之倫理學

作者/Author
藍亭 Timothy Lane

頁碼/Pagination
pp. 591-633

摘要
根據艾倫．伍德的「程序原則」，我們應該只接受可以被證成的信念。他認為，無論是個人或群體，接受不為證據所證成的信念會失去自尊、造成墮落。伍德的觀點和大部分分析「信念」概念的哲學家是一致的：信念應該瞄準真理，本文將說明此觀點並提出質疑，我將指出某些實證研究顯示，在特定情況下不瞄準真理反而更能維持自尊、避免墮落，這些不瞄準真理的信念我稱之為T信念。本文將進一步說明T信念的特色，以解釋在何種情況下程序原則應該被違背。

Abstract
According to Allen Wood’s “procedural principle” we should believe only that which can be justified by evidence, and nothing more. He argues that holding beliefs which are not justified by evidence diminishes our self-respect and corrupts us, both individually and collectively. Wood’s normative and descriptive views as regards belief are of a piece with the received view which holds that beliefs aim at the truth. This view I refer to as the Truth-Tracking View (TTV). I first present a modest version of TTV, one which is sensitive to standard criticisms and one which is fully consistent with the procedural principle. I then raise some doubts about TTV by considering both anecdotal cases and empirical studies. These studies suggest that certain types of belief are designed to aim away from truth, in limited, carefully calibrated ways. Moreover, it seems to be the case that selectively aiming away from the truth is important for human well-being and performance. Beliefs that are designed to aim away I dub “Tertullian” beliefs (t-beliefs). I then limn the distinguishing characteristics of t-belief and proceed to evaluate the procedural principle in light of the evidence which suggests that t-belief plays an important role in our cognitive economy. Next I argue that t-beliefs might be essential to the maintenance of self-respect and that they do not corrupt in the way that Wood claims. Finally, I argue that the fate of Wood’s procedural principle will be determined by the results of further empirical research— sociological, psychological, and neuroscientific.

關鍵字/Key Word
信念、倫理、正向錯覺、低調實在論、穆爾弔詭
belief, procedural principle, positive illusions, depressive realism, and Moore’s paradox

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DOI
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學門分類/Subject
哲學 Philosophy