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Propositional vs Objectual Belief
Understanding Audi's: Introduction to Contemporary Epistemology

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Propositional vs Objectual Belief
Algazel
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Joined: Jul 04, 2009

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Posted 07/04/09 - 04:47 AM:
Subject: Propositional vs Objectual Belief
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I'm working through Audi's contemporary epistemology and hoping someone might be able to help. With only a general reading in philosophy, I get the feeling that this won't be my last question.

Any who, what I'm trying to understand is his distinction between propositional and objectual belief. Let me write it out as I understand it and if someone could graciously explain if I'm right or wrong, add information, or provide good examples, it would be greatly appreciated.

Propositional belief - a belief or property attributed to a thing which is formally conceptualised or named. Hence the belief can be correctly or fully predicated to that thing - a known subject (named-de dicto). e.g. The field is rectangular; where I know the meaning/concept of the word field.

Objectual belief - a belief or property attributed to a thing, where a person does not have a formal/conceptual appreciation of the thing being described. Hence the belief cannot be predicated to a known or determined subject, but only on general terms. Belief is de re - of the thing. This big green thing I see (field) is rectangular; even if don't actually know what a field is.

I'm trying to understand the difference between propositional and objectual belief firstly without reference to de re/de dicto terminology, and then to bring them in.

please please comment. The more informed explanations the better.

Edited by Algazel on 07/04/09 - 06:54 AM
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