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Exploring why thinking something is true does not necessarily make it a reality.
Have you ever been 100% certain you left your phone on the kitchen table, only to find it in your backpack five minutes later? If you were so sure, why wasn't it there?
A belief is a mental state where you accept something as being true. Think of a belief as a 'mental map' you use to navigate the world. If you believe the cafeteria serves pizza on Fridays, your 'map' leads you there. In philosophy, we represent this as , where is the act of believing and is the statement (proposition) you think is true. However, just because you have a map of a gold mine doesn't mean the gold actually exists. Beliefs are internal; they happen inside your mind and can be influenced by your upbringing, your senses, or even your wishes.
Quick Check
In the analogy of the map and the territory, which one represents 'belief'?
Answer
The map represents belief because it is a mental representation of how we think the world looks.
1. You see a shiny gold coin on the sidewalk. 2. You form a belief: 'That is a \$1 coin.' 3. You pick it up and realize it is a chocolate coin in foil. 4. Your belief was sincere, but the truth (it was candy) remained the same the whole time.
1. For centuries, brilliant scientists believed the Sun revolved around the Earth. 2. They used complex math to 'prove' their beliefs and were completely sincere. 3. Despite their total certainty and high intelligence, the truth was that the Earth revolved around the Sun. 4. Their belief was a false belief because it did not correspond to reality.
Quick Check
If 1 billion people believe a lie, does it become a truth?
Answer
No, because truth is objective and independent of the number of people who believe it.
Consider this scenario: 1. Sarah puts her key in her desk drawer. 2. While she is gone, her brother moves the key to a flowerpot. 3. Sarah returns. Where does she believe the key is? (The desk). 4. Where is the truth of the key's location? (The flowerpot). 5. Sarah acts on her belief and searches the desk. This shows that we act based on our internal maps, even when they don't match the external territory.
Which of the following best describes a 'belief'?
If someone is sincere in their belief, what does that tell us about the truth of that belief?
Objective truth depends on how many people believe in it.
Review Tomorrow
In 24 hours, try to explain the 'Map vs. Territory' analogy to a friend or family member without looking at these notes.
Practice Activity
Think of a time you were 'certain' about a fact (like a movie release date or a historical event) but were proven wrong. Identify what your 'map' said versus what the 'territory' actually was.