The feeling of being certain that something exists or is true

What is the difference between faith and belief in philosophy?

Is there any difference between faith and belief philosophically speaking?

I am trying to think of these two concepts as separate, but I am unable to unlink them.

Is there any answer or any texts that you would suggest to help clarify my thoughts about them?

5 Answers 5

Here I offer a scientist’s view. If you are a philosopher, your mileage may vary:

«Belief» represents the acceptance of validity based on evidence, as in for example «I accept the validity of both special and general relativity. Even though I personally have not experimentally verified their validity, I believe them.» This is what it means for a scientist to «believe in» things like the laws of statistical thermodynamics, Maxwell’s equations, Kirchhoff’s relations, and so on.

In contrast, «faith» means acceptance of validity without scientific evidence, with the prime example being faith in religion, the validity of which cannot be determined experimentally.

Eric Schwitzgebel describes belief as a propositional attitude:

Contemporary Anglophone philosophers of mind generally use the term “belief” to refer to the attitude we have, roughly, whenever we take something to be the case or regard it as true. To believe something, in this sense, needn’t involve actively reflecting on it: Of the vast number of things ordinary adults believe, only a few can be at the fore of the mind at any single time. Nor does the term “belief”, in standard philosophical usage, imply any uncertainty or any extended reflection about the matter in question (as it sometimes does in ordinary English usage). Many of the things we believe, in the relevant sense, are quite mundane: that we have heads, that it’s the 21st century, that a coffee mug is on the desk.

Faith in a religious context likely implies both something more specific than whatever pops into our minds that we agree with and also more significant than the mundane beliefs Schwitzgebel refers to such as that we have heads.

Forming beliefs is thus one of the most basic and important features of the mind, and the concept of belief plays a crucial role in both philosophy of mind and epistemology.

Here one might get another distinction between faith and belief. Belief plays a role in the philosophy of mind and epistemology. Faith plays a role in theology and religious practice.

Schwitzgebel, Eric, «Belief», The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Summer 2019 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2019/entries/belief/.

Belief is usually seen as an intellectual position: something we think is true, good, etc. Faith is what we trust and depend on.

There are many things which could be believed, but which it would be hard to meaningfully trust. For example:

There are some beliefs which we can trust:

In religion it is easy to see how they work together. Most religions both assert truths and promote some spiritual reality as a reliable foundation on which to build our lives. Many have scriptures which tell a history of their god or gods being trustworthy. Many teach an ethical system which they believe is shown repeatedly to lead to human flourishing. Many encourage their people to share with their communities how their god or gods have supported them through difficult times. Religious people have faith when what they believe, including their past experiences of the divine, leads them to trust that same divine for the future.

But it’s also easy to see that many people with religious beliefs do not live faith-based lives. There are «Sunday» Christians, «Saturday» Jews, and «Friday» Muslims who attend their religious community’s meeting but who live the rest of their week without their beliefs making much of a difference. And of course there are many people who might say they believe in God without ever attending a religious service. Many religious people do not trust their god or gods to help them in difficult times, and some may be convinced by certain apologetic arguments for the existence of the divine without having any personal experience of it. Some forms of Deism could be said to be purely a spiritual belief with no faith component.

belief

1 belief

it staggers belief э́тому тру́дно пове́рить

to the best of my belief наско́лько мне изве́стно

2 belief

3 belief

вера;
доверие (in) ;
beyond belief невероятно;
it staggers belief этому трудно поверить

убеждение, мнение;
to the best of my belief насколько мне известно

вера;
доверие (in) ;
beyond belief невероятно;
it staggers belief этому трудно поверить beyond:

вера;
доверие (in) ;
beyond belief невероятно;
it staggers belief этому трудно поверить

убеждение, мнение;
to the best of my belief насколько мне известно best: to the

4 belief

5 belief

the Belief — символ веры, кредо

wrong belief — неправильное мнение, заблуждение

it is my belief that … — по-моему, по моему мнению

6 belief

in the belief that. — с надеждой на то, что.

to shake one’s belief — поколебать чьё-л. доверие

to give up / relinquish one’s belief — перестать верить во что-л., отступиться от веры

Nothing will shake his belief in ghosts. — Ничто не заставит его отказаться верить в привидения.

basic / doctrinaire belief — основное убеждение

erroneous / false / mistaken belief — ошибочное убеждение

firm / strong / unshakable belief — твёрдое убеждение, непоколебимая вера

popular / prevalent belief — широко распространённое убеждение

unpopular belief — непопулярное мнение, нераспространённое мнение

It is their firm belief that the earth is flat. — Они твердо убеждены, что земля плоская.

7 belief

It staggers belief. — Этому трудно поверить.

He has a strong belief in all round education. — Он твердо убежден в необходимости всестороннего образования.

It is their firm belief that the earth is flat. — Они твёрдо убеждены, что земля плоская

8 belief

9 belief

10 belief

mistaken [wrong\] belief — заблуждение

11 belief

12 belief

13 belief

to the best of my belief — наско́лько мне изве́стно

this statement is not worthy of belief — э́то заявле́ние не заслу́живает дове́рия

Christian belief — христиа́нская ве́ра

14 belief

15 belief

16 belief

вера
доверие
—
[Л.Г.Суменко. Англо-русский словарь по информационным технологиям. М.: ГП ЦНИИС, 2003.]

Тематики

Синонимы

убеждение
факт
знание
вера
доверие
—
[Л.Г.Суменко. Англо-русский словарь по информационным технологиям. М.: ГП ЦНИИС, 2003.]

Тематики

Синонимы

17 belief

18 belief

19 belief

to have the right to express one’s religious beliefs — иметь право исповедовать свои религиозные убеждения

to practice one’s religious beliefs — поступать согласно своим религиозным убеждениям

20 belief

См. также в других словарях:

Belief — is the psychological state in which an individual holds a proposition or premise to be true. [Citation last = Schwitzgebel first = Eric editor last = Zalta editor first = Edward contribution = Belief title = The Stanford Encyclopedia of… … Wikipedia

Belief — • That state of the mind by which it assents to propositions, not by reason of their intrinsic evidence, but because of authority Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006. Belief Belief … Catholic encyclopedia

belief — be·lief n: a degree of conviction of the truth of something esp. based on a consideration or examination of the evidence compare knowledge, suspicion Merriam Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam Webster. 1996 … Law dictionary

belief — 1 Belief, faith, credence, credit are comparable when they mean the act of one who assents intellectually to something proposed or offered for acceptance as true or the state of mind of one who so assents. Belief is less restricted in its… … New Dictionary of Synonyms

belief — (n.) late 12c., bileave, replacing O.E. geleafa belief, faith, from W.Gmc. *ga laubon to hold dear, esteem, trust (Cf. O.S. gilobo, M.Du. gelove, O.H.G. giloubo, Ger. Glaube), from *galaub dear, esteemed, from intensive prefix *ga + *leubh … Etymology dictionary

belief — ► NOUN 1) a feeling that something exists or is true, especially one without proof. 2) a firmly held opinion. 3) (belief in) trust or confidence in. 4) religious faith. ● beyond belief Cf. ↑beyond belief … English terms dictionary

belief — [n1] putting regard in as true acceptance, admission, assent, assumption, assurance, avowal, axiom, certainty, conclusion, confidence, conjecture, conviction, credence, credit, deduction, divination, expectation, faith, fancy, feeling, guess,… … New thesaurus

BELIEF — The Bible In the Bible there are no articles of faith or dogmas in the Christian or Islamic sense of the terms. Although trust in God is regarded as a paramount religious virtue (Gen. 15:6; Isa. 7:9; cf. Job 2:9), there is nowhere in Scripture an … Encyclopedia of Judaism

belief — noun ADJECTIVE ▪ absolute, deep seated, deeply held, fervent, firm, passionate, profound, strong, strongly held, unshakable, unwavering … Collocations dictionary

Grammar 101: Belief vs. Believe

What’s the main difference between ‘belief’ and ‘believe’? So, ‘believe’ (with a v) is a verb. It means to have confidence in the truth. Then, ‘belief’ (with an f) is a noun. It means a religious faith or the feeling of being certain that something is true.

On this page

What’s the main difference between ‘belief’ and ‘believe’? So, ‘believe’ (with a v) is a verb. It means to have confidence in the truth. Then, ‘belief’ (with an f) is a noun. It means a religious faith or the feeling of being certain that something is true.

Because ‘belief’ and ‘believe’ are almost homophones (words that sound alike), they are often confused. Here are some tips on how to tell them apart.

Belief vs Believe – the difference

Belief

Is a noun: A word that refers to a person, place, thing, event, substance, or quality.

Believe

Is a verb: A word or phrase that describes an action, condition, or experience.

Belief vs Believe – the definitions

Belief

The feeling of being certain that something exists or is true.

A religious faith.

Believe

Verb (used without object)

To have confidence in the truth, the existence, or the reliability of something, although without absolute proof that one is right in doing so.

Verb (used with object)

To have confidence or faith in the truth (a positive assertion, story).

To have confidence in the claims of (a person).

To have an opinion that (a person or thing) is, has been, or will be engaged in a given action.

Belief vs Believe – the synonyms

Belief

The synonyms for this word include: Acceptance, confidence, conviction, faith, hope, opinion, theory, understanding, feeling.

Believe

The synonyms for this word include: Think, accept, admit, consider, hold, trust, conclude, suppose, understand.

Belief vs Believe – in a sentence

Belief

All religious and political beliefs should be respected equally.

It is my firm belief that by next year, Angelina will produce an award-winning movie.

It is a popular belief that all her furniture are antiques.

I admire her so much because she has the courage to stand up for her beliefs.

There is a growing belief that I will not get my promotion this year.

Believe

We believe she moved overseas to be closer to her family.

Please believe me as I have no reason to lie to you.

Grace believes that she can win the writing competition.

Contrary to popular opinion, I don’t believe that Mr. Smith is capable of killing his wife.

I believe that she will do the right thing to protect her children.

Grammar 101: Belief vs. Believe

What’s the main difference between ‘belief’ and ‘believe’? So, ‘believe’ (with a v) is a verb. It means to have confidence in the truth. Then, ‘belief’ (with an f) is a noun. It means a religious faith or the feeling of being certain that something is true.

On this page

What’s the main difference between ‘belief’ and ‘believe’? So, ‘believe’ (with a v) is a verb. It means to have confidence in the truth. Then, ‘belief’ (with an f) is a noun. It means a religious faith or the feeling of being certain that something is true.

Because “belief” and “believe” are almost homophones (words that sound alike), they are often confused. Here are some tips on how to tell them apart.

Belief vs Believe – the difference

Belief

Is a noun: A word that refers to a person, place, thing, event, substance, or quality.

Believe

Is a verb: A word or phrase that describes an action, condition, or experience.

Belief vs Believe – the definitions

Belief

The feeling of being certain that something exists or is true.

A religious faith.

Believe

Verb (used without object)

To have confidence in the truth, the existence, or the reliability of something, although without absolute proof that one is right in doing so.

Verb (used with object)

To have confidence or faith in the truth (a positive assertion, story).

To have confidence in the claims of (a person).

To have an opinion that (a person or thing) is, has been, or will be engaged in a given action.

Belief vs Believe – the synonyms

Belief

The synonyms for this word include: Acceptance, confidence, conviction, faith, hope, opinion, theory, understanding, feeling.

Believe

The synonyms for this word include: Think, accept, admit, consider, hold, trust, conclude, suppose, understand.

Belief vs Believe – in a sentence

Belief

All religious and political beliefs should be respected equally.

It is my firm belief that by next year, Angelina will produce an award-winning movie.

It is a popular belief that all her furniture are antiques.

I admire her so much because she has the courage to stand up for her beliefs.

There is a growing belief that I will not get my promotion this year.

Believe

We believe she moved overseas to be closer to her family.

Please believe me as I have no reason to lie to you.

Grace believes that she can win the writing competition.

Contrary to popular opinion, I don’t believe that Mr. Smith is capable of killing his wife.

I believe that she will do the right thing to protect her children.

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Misspelled words often find their way into our world. So, that’s making it increasingly tough to know what is right and wrong. Let’s admit it, speaking can be deceiving, especially if it’s in a language that is not your mother tongue. That got us thinking and we decided to start our own “pronunciation” series and list the 50 most commonly mispronounced words. The list provides a good start to help you articulate and enunciate words correctly and may be a useful tool for your IELTS Speaking test.

Synonyms

evidence

a piece of evidence that something is happening or that something exists

suggestion

the possibility that something is true, or evidence showing that something may be true

proof

demonstration

indicator

something that shows you what condition something is in

trophy

something that you keep as proof of an achievement that you are proud of, for example a part of an animal that you have killed

illustration

an example, event, fact etc that shows that something else is true, or shows what something is like

trail

a series of marks or objects left by someone or something that shows they have been there

ammunition

facts or evidence that can be used against someone in an argument

(a) testament to something

evidence that something exists or is true

audit trail

information that is recorded, for example on paper or in a computer, and that proves that events happened in a particular way

authentication

the act of proving or showing that something is real and not false or copied

the balance of probabilities

the standard of proof that has to be reached in civil cases and which is less than complete certainty

bona fides

informal evidence or proof that someone has sincere feelings or is who they claim to be

calling card

evidence that someone or something has been to a place

cause of action

corroboration

formal evidence or information that supports what someone has said

giveaway

a movement, action, or expression on someone’s face that shows the truth about something or that lets you realize something that should be a secret

in writing

in the form of a document, that you can keep as proof of something such as an agreement

living proof

someone who is living proof of something is an example that proves it to be true

manifestation

formal evidence that something exists or is present

something that shows that a person or thing has a particular quality

the onus of proof

the responsibility of proving that something is true in a court of law

paper trail

a series of documents that can be used to show what someone did or how a situation developed

pointer

proof positive

something that makes you certain that something is true or exists

reflection

something that clearly shows something

reinforcement

the process of reinforcing something

relic

humorous a piece of evidence or a sign of something that has existed or happened recently

scent

a series of facts and signs that help someone to discover something

sign of life

evidence that there is someone in a place

smoking gun

informal clear proof that someone has done something wrong or illegal

standard of proof

support

proof that something is true or correct

testimony

evidence that something exists or is true

trail

a series of pieces of connected evidence that prove that someone did something wrong or illegal

verification

the act of checking, proving or showing that something is true or correct