Reconstruct one of his arguments (not the examples) in standard form. Then evaluate that argument for soundness and validity. What practical significance does Clifford’s thesis have? Do you see any fallacies in Clifford’s reasoning?
If it is known in a given scenario that there are potential problems and said scenario is allowed to play out with lost opportunities of termination, then, whoever had knowledge and influence over the situation is at fault regardless if any problems do arise. Also if you accept something as fact without properly vetting you may get duped and cause unforeseen consequences.
- Person has belief
- person acts on belief without confirming it
- the belief turned out to be false and caused unforeseen consequences
- unforeseen consequences are bad
- acting on unconfirmed believes is bad.
It is hard to escape the validity of this argument. It implies whenever we allow a potential problem to enter the world we are guilty for this problem even if it doesn’t manifest. Clifford’s logic lacks soundness, because it would be hard to exist in society living by this rule (or any rule) full heartily as it would make getting anything done extremely inconvenient. For example if I want to change my diet to protect the planet I may choose to be vegan. But the situation complicates when I consider that some plant based foods are also unsustainable or bad for local inhabitants. I could say sweet Oreos are vegan so I’m set! But then I have to consider the unsuitability of palm oil and its impact on the deforestation. Then maybe you say whatever I’ll just eat quinoa. Well people in areas where quinoa is grown have a difficult time affording quinoa themselves because of heavy demand in foreign places. Then I say whatever I just won’t buy anymore plastic bottles, I’ll get glass instead. Well too bad glass bottles weigh more and therefore take more fossil fuels to ship. So if you full heartily follow this logic you can’t have anything! However there are many moments where I could’ve and should’ve made greater efforts confirm my beliefs, so Clifford’s argument holds validity and usefulness in my and probably everyone’s existence. One example is stereotyping. Say someone is walking up your street who you don’t recognize and you think they may be breaking into cars. You freak out and without proper vetting call the cops. The person who was walking down your street gets shot by the cops and it was discovered later that they were just looking for their lost cat. You called the cops so you are partly responsible for murder. Now if a nosy neighbor followed the teaching of Clifford they would’ve stalked the mysterious person around or simply ask what they are doing and would discover that they are looking for a cat and not breaking the law. This concept also could’ve prevented the invasion of Iraq, my own false imprisonment in a Yolo county jail and many other hardships in the world. So my advice is to try your best to vet and be extra wary of actions that can lead dramatic consequences but eventually you do have to make a decision so don’t be too hard on your self if you happen to make a mistake.
Qoute from the reading
“….would know that he had acquired and nourished a belief, when he had no right to believe
on such evidence as was before him; and therein he would know that he had done a wrong thing.”
I think nourished is an excellent choice of word. Because if something is known to be possibly false one has to use imagination to keep the belief alive, this is a form of nourishment. When I’m are not sure of something sometimes I shrug my head and say whatever and let the idea die, or do research on the idea or simply accept it as fact without proper vetting and let it fester in my imagination. This last idea is what can lead to a “wrong thing” or misdoing.
Word count 651
Scribbled symphony 