TY - JOUR
T1 - The aim of belief and suspended belief
AU - ATKINSON, C. J.
PY - 2021/1/12
Y1 - 2021/1/12
N2 - In this paper, I discuss whether different interpretations of the aim of belief – both the teleological and normative interpretations – have the resources to explain certain descriptive and normative features of suspended belief, or suspension. I argue that despite the recent efforts of theorists to extend these theories to account for suspension, they ultimately fail. The implication is that we must either develop alternative theories of belief that can account for suspension, or we must abandon the assumption that these theories ought to be able to account for suspension. To close, I briefly consider some of the reasons we have in favor of pursuing each of these options, and I suggest that it is worth exploring the possibility that suspension is best understood as its own attitude, independently of theories of belief’s aim.
AB - In this paper, I discuss whether different interpretations of the aim of belief – both the teleological and normative interpretations – have the resources to explain certain descriptive and normative features of suspended belief, or suspension. I argue that despite the recent efforts of theorists to extend these theories to account for suspension, they ultimately fail. The implication is that we must either develop alternative theories of belief that can account for suspension, or we must abandon the assumption that these theories ought to be able to account for suspension. To close, I briefly consider some of the reasons we have in favor of pursuing each of these options, and I suggest that it is worth exploring the possibility that suspension is best understood as its own attitude, independently of theories of belief’s aim.
KW - Aim of belief
KW - aims
KW - norms
KW - suspend belief
KW - suspend judgment
KW - withhold belief
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85099394100&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/09515089.2020.1870945
DO - 10.1080/09515089.2020.1870945
M3 - Journal Article (refereed)
JO - Philosophical Psychology
JF - Philosophical Psychology
SN - 0951-5089
ER -