“The Ethics of Belief,” by William Clifford

In the series of essays, “The Ethics of Belief”, William Clifford questions our responsibility to our own beliefs. In our search for truth and meaning, we must be open to and seek out all possibilities and dedicate ourselves to truth. Clifford claims even more: that because of our responsibility to each other, it is wrong always, everywhere, and for anyone, to believe anything upon insufficient evidence.

We cannot believe ethically without doubt and true interrogation, but when can we be morally sound that we are “sure enough” in our convictions? We all rely on, and have a duty to, the shared knowledge and trustworthy practices of society, but when should we be skeptical of bad actors and when should we concede our ignorance to the experts? All of us together, with the guidance of evidence and reason, can journey towards truth.

William K. Clifford was an English philosopher and mathematician, living in the mid 19th century. His work in abstract algebra is used today in quantum mechanics, now called the “Clifford Algebra”, and he was the first to propose that matter and energy were related to the curvature and geometry of space, 40 years before Einstein.

In his philosophy, Clifford wonders about the origins of the “self”, our relationship to our “tribe”, and he coined the term “mind-stuff”. Throughout a series of essays, he investigates the place where the pursuit of knowledge meets ethics.

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