distinctive. Rationalists’ belief is that reason is meaning or truth value to the extent that they
the main source of knowledge. Therefore, produce practical results and effectively further
anything that can be doubted is not true. Two our aims”. We live in accordance with beliefs
kinds of knowledge are: a posteriori and a that match our own feelings and experiences.
priori. A posteriori knowledge is verifiable The will to believe rests on the foundation that
through empirical means. This particular life demands two things: response and action.
knowledge is changeable and not regarded as We must believe in something. Forced options
universal. A priori knowledge is reasoned and are decisions that have to be made one way or
without reliance on the senses. Experience does another. Not deciding on something is a
not play a role in this knowledge. The decision, also, and life does not allow us to live
coherence theory of truth evaluates new ideas unattached, without interest. The pragmatic
on their basis of rational coherence and on theory of meaning states that truth happens to
previously tried and proven truths. There were an idea. In essence, we test ideas to see if they
rules to be followed in finding the truth. In his are true. Only when we have tested an idea
work, Rules for the Direction of the Mind, against our own experience and deemed it to
Descartes laid out twenty-one rules. His method be so can we accept that truth. Beliefs are
for finding truth is known as methodic doubt viewed as adaptations. They are only valid if
which holds one to doubt everything that can they help us through life. Truth is not
possibly be doubted. Even by the most important. What is important is the usefulness
miniscule doubt. Before then philosophy did not of an idea as applied in our personal lives.
demand individual, rational comprehension. He James’ belief in self-fulfilling prophecy justifies
elaborated on his beliefs through a series of how we manifest truth in our own lives by
meditations titled Meditations on First believing so strongly in something that it comes
Philosophy. In his second meditation he queried true. Ex: A friend believes they are unintelligent
a piece of wax for its truth. This piece of wax and cannot pass a class they are enrolled in.
was found to have certain qualities about it, Meanwhile, they continue to do all their
such as, taste, shape, color, etc. When heated assignments constantly reminding themselves
this piece of wax took on completely different of that belief. This leads to self-sabotage and
characteristics. The color and consistency they end up fulfilling that prophecy that they
changed. It was liquefied and did not taste of are unintelligent and will fail the class.
the sweetness of the honeycomb as it once had Therefore, their belief was so strong in this that
before. He found this to be the same piece of they caused themselves to fail the course.
wax, yet different due to his perception of it. Henry Ford was credited with reasoning,
So, the truth found in that piece of wax is not “Whether you think you can or think you can’t,
based on sensory information. It must be left to either way you are right”. If one believes
the intuition of the mind. something is true about them whether negative
or positive, either way it is true due to their
William James felt that truth was always belief in that truth.
personal, being contingent on the eye of the
beholder. He was a philosopher and a Many different beliefs are prevalent in the
psychologist who believed in pragmatism. study of philosophy and the ideas contained
“Pragmatism is the belief that ideas have therein. Kant’s belief in truth encompassed
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