Belief and Knowledge

作为知识论构成的一部分,信念论主要研究有关信念的性质、信念与知识的关系、信念与理由的关系等方面的问题。关于信念的性质,当代西方比较有代表性的观点,一是把信念作为一种以命题方式表示同意的态度,二是把信念作为一种倾向、意向,三是把信念作为实践利益考虑的产物。在信念与知识、信念与理由之间的关系问题上,当代西方最为激进的主张是否认信念存在的"消除主义",较有代表性的研究成果是奥迪对"理由"做出的界定与分类,对理由与信念之间的结构性与解释性联系的分析。本文认为,知识属于信念的一种形式。The theory of belief, as a part of epistemology, is concerned mainly with characters of belief, relations between belief and knowledge, and relations between belief and reason. With regard to the former, there are three representative viewpoints in contemporary western philosophy. Belief is regarded as (1) an assent attitude in the form of proposition; (2) as a kind of disposition or intention; and (3) as a result of practical consideration of interests. As to relations between belief and knowledge and relations between belief and reason, this paper discusses the viewpoint of eliminativism, Robert Audi's definition of "reason", his classification of reasons and his analysis of the structural and explanatory relations between belief and reason, and concludes that knowledge belongs to a form of belief