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From: sarge@thirdi.UUCP (Sarge Gerbode)
Newsgroups: sci.philosophy.tech
Subject: Re: The nature of knowledge
Message-ID: <70@thirdi.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 30-Jul-87 00:19:11 EDT
Article-I.D.: thirdi.70
Posted: Thu Jul 30 00:19:11 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 1-Aug-87 04:32:38 EDT
References: <58@thirdi.UUCP> <2401@ihlpl.ATT.COM> <66@thirdi.UUCP> <1537@botter.cs.vu.nl> <68@thirdi.UUCP> <3991@spool.WISC.EDU>
Reply-To: sarge@thirdi.UUCP (Sarge Gerbode)
Distribution: world
Organization: Third Eye Software, Palo Alto, CA
Lines: 23
Keywords: truth knowledge belief absolutes certainty
Summary: You *can* decide to believe.

In article <3991@spool.WISC.EDU> planting@colby.WISC.EDU ( W. Harry Plantinga) writes:
>Even in this case I don't think one is generally able to "decide" to
>believe something.

I think you can decide to believe something.  Whether you succeed or not
depends on the methods you use to instill belief in yourself.  Theoretically,
you could hire a good hypnotist and get the belief implanted as a post-hypnotic
suggestion (a common trick).  This might not work for all beliefs, but it
surely works for *some*.

>But one can't say "I want to believe in santa claus" and start
>believing.

Probably not -- yo'd have to *do* something about it.  But then nothing
worthwhile is accomplished without some effort :-)  .
-- 
"Absolute knowledge means never having to change your mind."

Sarge Gerbode
Institute for Research in Metapsychology
950 Guinda St.
Palo Alto, CA 94301
UUCP:  pyramid!thirdi!sarge