Reasoning and normative beliefs: not too sophisticated

Müller, Andreas (2019). Reasoning and normative beliefs: not too sophisticated. Philosophical Explorations, 22(1), pp. 2-15. Taylor & Francis 10.1080/13869795.2018.1523449

Text Reasoning and normative beliefs not too sophisticated.pdf - Published Version Restricted to registered users only Available under License Publisher holds Copyright. Download (478kB)

Does reasoning to a certain conclusion necessarily involve a normative belief in support of that conclusion? In many recent discussions of the nature of reasoning, such a normative belief condition is rejected. One main objection is that it requires too much conceptual sophistication and thereby excludes certain reasoners, such as small children. I argue that this objection is mistaken. Its advocates overestimate what is necessary for grasping the normative concepts required by the condition, while seriously underestimating the importance of such concepts for our most fundamental agential capacities. Underlying the objection is the observation that normative thoughts do not necessarily cross our minds during reasoning. I show that proponents of the normative belief condition can accommodate this observation by taking the required normative belief to guide the reasoning process and offer a novel account of what such guidance consists in.

Interest & Impact

Downloads

6 since deposited on 27 Jun 2019
0 in the past 12 months

Citations

5 Citations in Web of Science ®
6 Citations in Scopus

Search

in Google Scholar™

Services

Actions (login required)

Edit item

Actions (login required)

Edit item