Belief and Acceptance as Features of Groups
Protosociology: An International Journal of Interdisciplinary Research Vol. 16, pp. 35-69, 2002
Posted: 4 Dec 2007 Last revised: 23 Dec 2010
Date Written: December 21, 2010
Abstract
In everyday discourse groups or collectives are often said to believe this or that. The author has previously developed an account of the phenomenon to which such collective belief statements refer. According to this account, in terms that are explained, a group believes that p if and only if its members are jointly committed to believe that p as a body. Those who fulfill these conditions are referred to here as collectively believing that p. Some philosophers - here labeled rejectionists - have argued that collective belief is not belief but rather acceptance. This paper presents several arguments against rejectionism.
Keywords: acceptance, belief, collective consciousness, group mind, metaphysics
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