Philosophy Roundtable: The Ethics of Belief

Please join us this Sunday for a philosophy roundtable discussion exploring epistemology and the ethics of belief. This session will be moderated by Nalini.

In this session we'll be discussing what philosophers call 'epistemic responsibility'. This relates to our obligations around belief formation, trusting each other's testimonies and spreading ideas amongst one another. We'll be considering all of this especially in the context of the media, misinformation, conspiracy theories, and echo chambers.

We will meet at the CAPTAIN MELVILLE, 34 Franklin St in Melbourne CBD, at 2pm for 2.15pm start.

No pre-reading is required, but if you'd like to familiarise yourself with the basics, this YouTube video is a great place to start: https://youtu.be/AYkhlXronNk?si=SwJoQ5VKU5BO8C1b

Some further questions to consider before the event...

• Is it immoral to believe with insufficient evidence? Why or why not?
• What responsibilities, if any, do we have regarding the formation of beliefs? Should we level blame on those who fail to meet their responsibilities?
• Is cancelling or silencing a justifiable response towards someone spreading unevidenced beliefs?
• When should we trust the testimony of others, and how do we determine who is an 'expert' on a topic?
• What should we do in light of others holding beliefs that disagree with our own?
• What constitutes a “harmful” belief?

Hope to see you there!