Lewis Powell

I've been reading L. Jonathan Cohen's "An Essay On Belief and Acceptance" in which he argues for the importance of distinguishing belief (understood as a passive state consisting in a certain sort of disposition to feel that something is the case) from acceptance (understood as a voluntary act of policy adoption: the policy of treating something as a premise in reasoning). Cohen thinks this distinction can help untangle a collection of issues in epistemology and action theory (specifically purposive explanations).

Does anyone know of other good books or articles to read addressing this purported contrast between belief and acceptance? I'd be interested both in writings that defend the contrast as well as those arguing that it is specious or unimportant.

Justin Snedegar

USC School of Philosophy Colloquium Announcement

James Joyce, University of Michigan, "The Probative Value of Old Evidence"

When: Friday, February 20, 4:00-6:00PM
Where: Mudd Hall of Philosophy (MHP) 102
Refreshments will follow after the talk in MHP 113.

Justin Snedegar

Joseph Raz will be visiting USC between March 23 and April 9. He will give a talk on March 27 at 3pm at the USC Law School. More details should follow, but if they don't, and you want more details, let me know.