ONT Re: Russell -- Philosophy Of Logical Atomism
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POLA. Note 18
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| 4.1. Are Beliefs, Etc., Irreducible Facts?
|
| "Etc." covers understanding a proposition; it covers desiring, willing,
| any other attitude of that sort that you may think of that involves
| a proposition. It seems natural to say one believes a proposition
| and unnatural to say one desires a proposition, but as a matter
| of fact that is only a prejudice. What you believe and what
| you desire are of exactly the same nature. You may desire
| to get some sugar tomorrow and of course you may possibly
| believe that you will. I am not sure that the logical
| form is the same in the case of will. I am inclined
| to think that the case of will is more analogous to
| that of perception, in going direct to facts, and
| excluding the possibility of falsehood. In any
| case desire and belief are of exactly the same
| form logically.
|
| Russell, POLA, p. 82.
|
| Bertrand Russell, "The Philosophy of Logical Atomism", pp. 35-155
| in 'The Philosophy of Logical Atomism', edited with an introduction
| by David Pears, Open Court, La Salle, IL, 1985. First published 1918.
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