Clifford's Ethics of Belief

Clifford asks us to consider a ship owner with a bad boat that needs repairs. This thought that it needs repairs makes the ship owner uncomfortable and so he eventually pushes those beliefs aside and then genuinely believes his ship will be just fine for another voyage. Alas, his ship sinks. Clifford believes that the owner is to be held responsible for the death of voyagers because he had evidence to believe otherwise, and his sincerity should be of no help or defense to him. On the other hand, if the ship does not sink and is safe, this still would not excuse the owner because when an action is done, it is right or it is wrong and no accidental feature of the fruits will alter that. So for Clifford, it is wrong to believe things on insufficient evidence. 

Clifford states that no belief is truly insignificant because all beliefs prepare us to receive other beliefs, they make us disposed to confirming our beliefs and indisposed to disconfirming them, and it lays the groundwork for future action. Further, no belief is private. They shape our thoughts and actions which, in turn, impact later generations. The harm done is not merely in holding a false belief, but rather the harm is in becoming credulous, which is an intellectual vice. Having vicious people roaming about is bad for society, no matter how sincere or how “insignificant” these beliefs may be. 

Clifford’s view is in stark contrast with Pascal as Pascal considers belief in God to be a mere practical or utilitarian decision. Clifford, on the other hand, is very principled about how we should go about believing in things, stating it is always wrong to believe anything upon insufficient evidence. Since for Pascal, he asks us to believe something independent from evidence, such a move would be morally wrong.

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