The purpose of belief is often interpreted in evolutionary biology and cognitive science as a matter of survival. However, there is a continuing debate about the role of belief in truth acquisition. The purpose of belief is an important part of human cognition and should not be dismissed as unimportant.
People have a great deal invested in their belief systems. They stake their reputations and structure their entire lives around their beliefs. They also make enormous material and career investments based on their beliefs. This makes it even more important to examine and question one's beliefs. The consequences of changing one's beliefs can be disastrous.
Most analytic philosophers agree that belief is a dispositional attitude. Belief is taking proposition p as true. To believe that p is true, one has to have a concept of truth, and the belief must be based on something that is true.
The role of belief in our society has varied over time. It has been a human trait since the beginning of time. While some people claim that religion is pathological, others believe that it is a necessary social force. Whatever the case, religion has endured for more than 100,000 years and 85 percent of the world's population embraces some form of religion.
It is important to remember that most beliefs don't occur at any given time. They come in various degrees of firmness, confidence, and strength. A belief that does not form in this way is a deficient example of a belief. Beliefs are highly subjective and have many different facets.
Beliefs are governed by different types of norms. Different types of norms are grounded on different kinds of values. To understand what constitutes a norm, an ethicist must determine the kind of value. Moreover, the ethicist should explain why norms based on different kinds of value have different priority relations.
Beliefs can be ethically problematic. For example, a person may choose to believe something because it is more comfortable or convenient. These beliefs can lead to norms that are contrary to reality. They can even be dangerous. If you are unsure of a belief, ask yourself if it is ethically correct.