Read: William James, “The Will To Believe” (Excerpts)

Blog Prompt : Explain the characteristics of a belief that is live, forced, and momentous. Give examples for each. What kind of belief fits all three? Has James found an exception to Clifford’s standard for belief? Do you agree more with Clifford or James?

A belief that is live is a belief that is relevant to who you are, and directly matters to you. For example, I wouldn’t mind if someone asked me if I like playing the piccolo or the flute, because I play neither, but it would matter if someone asked me if I like playing violin or clarinet, because I play both.

A forced belief is a belief where you are forced to choose, and there is no alternative. If I were to ask someone, “Either be my friend or never see me again”, I offer them no alternative. If I were to ask someone, “Go see the concert with Julia or go see the concert without her”, it is not a forced option as they could just not attend the concert.

A momentous belief is a belief that has risks associated with it. For example, if I offered you the chance to go to Mars. A belief is trivial when “the opportunity is not unique, when the stake is insignificant, or when the decision is reversible if it later prove unwise”. If a belief fulfills these options, it is not monumental.

A belief that fits all three is the example that Clifford used– religion. Religion is a live belief because it matters to you, as it tells you that it will determine your fate. This matters to you. It is also a forced belief. You are forced to choose whether or not you believe in it, as there is a high threshold. If you believe in anything less than God, you are not a worthy believer. It tells you that there is no way out of the consequence of religion. It also is a momentous belief because

I don’t believe he has truly found an exception to Clifford’s ethics of belief. Clifford’s argument holds true, and the exception that James tries to argue is that the cost of not believing can be too great, and this cost can discourage us from consistently being skeptical. While this may hold true, I don’t think the two have to contradict each other. A person can believe they are upholding skepticism, and still believe something that others find illogical. This is what I think is an exception to Clifford’s rule– we all have different standards of skepticism and belief.

I agree more with Clifford. Though I agree with the beliefs James sets forward, I think Clifford is right in his belief of our skepticism. It is a standard we must hold ourselves to; it is not a complete solution, and interpreting it as such will cause there to be flaws as James points out.

512 words