120 Oct 23

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120

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Philosophy

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Oct 30, 2023

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PHIL 120 – Oct 23 Thomas Senor’s challenge to evidentialism (EP) “Religious beliefs are epistemically justified only if they are based on good evidence” (141). There is no good evidence for religious beliefs  The ‘person in the pew’: very little evidence.  The ‘professional theist’: very little consensus on the evidence. By evidentialism, then: No one should believe in God: it’s not rational or logical. How can a religious believer respond? Accept (EP), generally speaking. Exclude religious belief as a special case (as suggested by some religious scholars). Senor rejects this approach as non-epistemic (it forsakes the search for truth). Reject (EP): One can have an epistemically justified belief, despite (1) lacking evidence, or (2) not basing one’s belief on the evidence. (1) Lacking evidence Consider a cognitive system that produces beliefs automatically, quickly, and often uncontrollably. These systems can be innate or learned. This is System 1. 1

 There's reason to say that System 1 lacks evidence in many cases. This depends on whether evidence can be unconscious (or subconscious, subliminal, etc.). If System 1 does lack evidence entirely, (EP) is refuted.  Alternatively, suppose System 1 has evidence. In many cases, the available evidence is too weak, or lacks the right content. Senor’s ‘angry face’ case : We see someone with an angry face and we believe this person is angry. Senor comments : “There is little direct connection in content between seeing someone with an open mouth and squinting eyes and forming the belief that the person is mad” (p. 147) The human face case : Human brains contain an area in the temporal lobe called the ‘ fusiform gyrus’ that allows us to see faces instinctively. The process is automatic, involves no reflection, and the content of one’s resultant belief is often different in content from what one sees. (2) Not basing one’s belief on the evidence. Consider a cognitive system that produces beliefs deliberately, reflectively, rationally, consciously, and often slowly. This is System 2. 2

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