Yes, we use such almost-euphemisms to endow our sayings with greater authority. We sometimes say "know", when we really mean "believe", and sometimes we say "believe" when a clearer and more accurate description would be "guess". Our thinking is necessarily filled with these words that signal what we think is "probably the case about something", as Steve3007 says. But we usually shy away from complete honesty, unless we say "guess", as you suggest.LuckyR wrote: ↑October 15th, 2021, 12:34 pm Very true, that is the most common casual usage of believe. In cases of future events (where the situation is currently unknowable) it is the correct formal usage as well. OTOH in the realm of knowable (yet currently unknown to the speaker) information a better word would be "guess".
Belief and Knowledge: How Can They Be Distinguished and Balanced?
- Pattern-chaser
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Re: Belief and Knowledge: How Can They Be Distinguished and Balanced?
"Who cares, wins"
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Re: Belief and Knowledge: How Can They Be Distinguished and Balanced?
On the issue of casual vs formal usage, the most important thing is to communicate effectively. In my experience folks understand the casual usage of believing it rained in Denver yesterday as I think it rained but I am not sure (otherwise I would have said: I know it rained, or just: it rained). Even though it doesn't reflect a true belief, in a formal sense.Pattern-chaser wrote: ↑October 16th, 2021, 9:17 amYes, we use such almost-euphemisms to endow our sayings with greater authority. We sometimes say "know", when we really mean "believe", and sometimes we say "believe" when a clearer and more accurate description would be "guess". Our thinking is necessarily filled with these words that signal what we think is "probably the case about something", as Steve3007 says. But we usually shy away from complete honesty, unless we say "guess", as you suggest.LuckyR wrote: ↑October 15th, 2021, 12:34 pm Very true, that is the most common casual usage of believe. In cases of future events (where the situation is currently unknowable) it is the correct formal usage as well. OTOH in the realm of knowable (yet currently unknown to the speaker) information a better word would be "guess".
2024 Philosophy Books of the Month
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