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X-ORIGINAL-URL:http://www.meetup.com/cfibrooklyn/calendar/9114853/ical/Phil
 osophy+and+Fries:+Belief/
X-WR-CALNAME:Events - Philosophy and Fries: Belief
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Philosophy and Fries: Belief
DESCRIPTION:Center for Inquiry - Brooklyn\n\nWhat do we know about belief? 
 As it stands\, we still have not gathered why exactly our brain takes some 
 propositions as true\, and others as false. Yet beliefs permeate every part
  of our lives\, driving our actions -- and making belief an important topic
  of discussion. \n\nOne definition for belief we can use for our discussion
  is given by author Sam Harris in his 2004 book End of Faith. Harris states
  that "beliefs are attempts to represent states of the world." So\, for ins
 tance\, I would believe a proposition such as "the wine glass in front of m
 e is empty" if I could indeed see the wine glass in front of me\, and see t
 hat it is empty. My belief -- representing a state of the world that is an 
 empty wine glass -- is thus a consequence of the way the world is. And as a
  result of this\, I am now behaviorally susceptible to my belief about the 
 amount of wine in my glass. \n\nThis\, Harris argues\, must leave a person 
 open to new evidence. Wine being poured into the glass must change my belie
 f about the amount of wine in that glass. If there was no way to change my 
 belief about the amount of wine in the glass -- or\, at least\, put me into
  questioning mode -- Harris says this would prove that my belief was "not p
 redicated upon ... taking any state of the world into account." In this ins
 tance\, Harris writes that I "could not claim\, therefore\, to be represent
 ing the world at all."\n\nIs Harris right? Are beliefs "attempts to represe
 nt states of the world"? Is there another\, better definition? Do different
  beliefs hold different definitions? How do beliefs cause actions? Moreover
 \, what is the definition of a good reason to form a belief? And where does
  knowledge -- defined by ancient Greeks as "justified true belief" -- come 
 into play?\n\nOn Jan. 13\, armed with evolutionary biologist and philosophe
 r Massimo Pigliucci\, we will discuss all of this\, and more. This will be 
 the second meeting of Philosophy and Fries\, one event of many from CFI-Bro
 oklyn.\n\nThe Park Plaza Restaurant is a Brooklyn Heights-located diner wit
 h lots of space\, fairly priced food\, and beer\, wine and cocktails. To ge
 t there:\n\nA or C to High Street\n2 or 3 to Clark Street\n4\, 5\, M or R t
 o Court Street\, Borough Hall\n\nBrooklyn\, NY  11201 - USA\n\nTuesday\, Ja
 nuary 13 at 7:30 PM\n\nPhoto: http://photos2.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/
 1/5/b/e/event_8945566.jpeg\n\nAttending: 25\n\nDetails: http://www.meetup.c
 om/cfibrooklyn/calendar/9114853/
LAST-MODIFIED:20090206T050528Z
UID:event_9114853@meetup.com
CLASS:PUBLIC
CREATED:20081107T180407Z
DTSTAMP:20091110T040004Z
DTSTART:20090114T003000Z
DTEND:20090114T023000Z
GEO:40.68;-73.98
LOCATION:Likourentzos Park Plaza Restaurant - 220 Cadman Plaza W - Brooklyn
 \, NY  11201 - USA
URL:http://www.meetup.com/cfibrooklyn/calendar/9114853/
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