“The Ethics of Belief” by William Clifford

Introduction

In the essay “Ethics of Belief”, William Clifford argues that no one, choosing what to believe, can be free from the opinions of others. A person’s faith may incriminate him/her in unethical behavior, depending on whether he/she has the “right to believe” what he/she believes in, according to Clifford (3). He cites as an example the owner of a ship intended for the transport of emigrants, who is ready to sail with all the passengers on board (Clifford 2).

The boat captain made an assumption that previous successful voyages would guarantee the upcoming trip’s outcome. Although he was warned that there was a storm, he recklessly believed in customs and sailed, which led to his death. In other words, Clifford argues that no one possesses the right to have an opinion, because it can lead to dire consequences.

Discussion

William James claims that an individual can adhere to holding a belief system because the logical analysis can be flawed and a person cannot understand everything. Therefore, he proposes that faith is necessary for sane human existence and he outlines ten remarks for determining the right to believe as a necessity (James 8). The lack of intellectual grounds to support the belief does not eliminate a person’s faith in something, because it helps him/her to navigate through life.

Conclusion

In my opinion, Clifford proposes a correct approach, which values factual evidence above faith. However, I think that in practice Clifford’s statements are harsh and hard to implement because people cannot constantly be factually correct. Therefore, I am convinced that there should be a mix of Clifford’s direction and William’s consideration for human nature and the tendency to explain his/her surrounding world.

Works Cited

Clifford, William K. “The Ethics of Belief”. The Ethics of Belief and Other Essays, edited by Samuel Daron, Contemporary Review, 1877, pp. 1-5.

James, William. “The Will to Believe”. Epistemology, edited by Markus Tarbonson, The New World, 1896, pp. 2-17.

Cite this paper

Select style

Reference

StudyCorgi. (2021, June 7). “The Ethics of Belief” by William Clifford. https://studycorgi.com/the-ethics-of-belief-by-william-clifford/

Work Cited

"“The Ethics of Belief” by William Clifford." StudyCorgi, 7 June 2021, studycorgi.com/the-ethics-of-belief-by-william-clifford/.

* Hyperlink the URL after pasting it to your document

References

StudyCorgi. (2021) '“The Ethics of Belief” by William Clifford'. 7 June.

1. StudyCorgi. "“The Ethics of Belief” by William Clifford." June 7, 2021. https://studycorgi.com/the-ethics-of-belief-by-william-clifford/.


Bibliography


StudyCorgi. "“The Ethics of Belief” by William Clifford." June 7, 2021. https://studycorgi.com/the-ethics-of-belief-by-william-clifford/.

References

StudyCorgi. 2021. "“The Ethics of Belief” by William Clifford." June 7, 2021. https://studycorgi.com/the-ethics-of-belief-by-william-clifford/.

This paper, ““The Ethics of Belief” by William Clifford”, was written and voluntary submitted to our free essay database by a straight-A student. Please ensure you properly reference the paper if you're using it to write your assignment.

Before publication, the StudyCorgi editorial team proofread and checked the paper to make sure it meets the highest standards in terms of grammar, punctuation, style, fact accuracy, copyright issues, and inclusive language. Last updated: .

If you are the author of this paper and no longer wish to have it published on StudyCorgi, request the removal. Please use the “Donate your paper” form to submit an essay.