A Phenomenal, Dispositional Account of Belief
Eric Schwitzgebel

Nous, 36 (2002) 249-275

Abstract

This paper describes and defends in detail a novel account of belief, an account inspired by Ryle's (1949) dispositional characterization of belief, but emphasizing irreducibly phenomenal and cognitive dispositions as well as behavioral dispositions. Potential externalist and functionalist objections are considered, as well as concerns motivated by the inevitably ceteris paribus nature of the relevant dispositional attributions. It is argued that a dispositional account of belief is particularly well-suited to handle what might be called "in-between" cases of believing - cases in which it is neither quite right to describe a person as having a particular belief nor quite right to describe her as lacking it.

Click here to link to the volume on JStor.

Or here for a free version from my website, if you are viewing it in accord with "fair use" laws.

Click here to view the penultimate version of the paper as an html file.

Or email me (eschwitz at domain- ucr.edu) for a copy of this paper.


Return to Eric Schwitzgebel's homepage.