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EPISTEM_PSYCHOLOGY

                                             September 8, 2020

                                                          EPISTEMS
About In Bertrand Russell's piece,
"Epistemological Premises" (1940):
                                            See Russell's "Basic Writings":
                                            http://emilkirkegaard.dk/en/wp-content/uploads/The-Basic-Writings-of-Bertrand-Russell.pdf

    There's a few brief remarks about the
    psychology of epistemological
    premises-- Russell goes as far as to
    elevate "psychology" to one of the
    three criteria for an epistemological
    premise, but then says very little
    about them (and some of what he does
    say is mildly confusing).

             "(b) A psychological premiss may be
             defined as a belief which is not caused
             by any other belief or beliefs.  [...]
             The most obvious class of beliefs not
             caused by other beliefs are those that
             result directly from perception."

         So, a belief rooted in observed evidence is
         "psychological"?  That's the opposite of the
         way we would usually use the word.

         Interestingly, Russell goes on to remark that
         other psychological premises:

             "are required to produce our faith in
             deductive arguments. Perhaps induction        Russell goes on to
             also is based, psychologically, upon          use an example where
             primitive beliefs. What others there may      "psychological"
             be I shall not at the moment inquire."        once again refers
                                                           to observations:
         The idea that faith in logic rides on some        the possibility
         sort of psychological phenomena would be a        that you may be
         remarkable admission for Russell if it were       deceived by a
         at all clear what he means by "psychology".       perceptual illusion
                                                           is what downgrades
                                                           them to "psychology"?


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