Acquiring Beliefs

[luckyme]

In the "Is there an argument for atheism" thread ( which deals with a-beliefs), Philo commented -
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You seem to be saying that belief acquisition has to be a conscious process, i.e., that I don't acquire a belief 'that x' until I've consciously thought about whether or not I believe 'that x'. I think that beliefs are more dispositional than that.

I've probably never had the thought that "1 + 637 = 638," but I think it would be natural to ascribe that belief to me on the basis of my disposition to respond "yes" to the question "Does 1 + 637 = 638?"

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Most beliefs we claim to have actually fit into this "a belief I construct when probed" category, rather than explicit beliefs that we have formed and walk around with in a 'belief file'.
We may form a belief consciously or subconsciously, but the ones that we construct when probed are in the "a belief I would have if I'd have considered it". Heck, that's how I feel about whether the dictionary on my desk weighs more than this months Playboy, or the cube root of 423. or Philo's 1+637. or whether a truckload of dimes worth more than a truckload of quarters.
If the question is "do you believe X.." the time frame is in the present, not the future " ...after you have considered the question?".

So, I don't ascribe the belief to Philo, even though I know he'll believe the dimes are worth more once probed. It's not a belief he 'has' it's a belief he 'will have once considered'.

when I see Philo in Boston, I don't think I 'have' a belief that he is farther north than Cairo. I will form that if probed.

luckyme