Truth, strike two

[ciphergoth]

Thanks for some interesting and surprising responses to the JFK question. At the risk of creating more heat than light, let me try another example, one that I think might be a little less comfortable to be neutral about.

It seems that many people believe that on the morning of September 11, 2001, four thousand or more Israelis who were working at the World Trade Center did not show up for work.

Are those people wrong?

(Update: amended as per ajva's caveat)

Comments

[jhg.livejournal.com]

Assuming that it is not the case that >=4,000 Israelis failed that day to turn up to the WTC, their usual place of work: -

Yes those people are wrong. They have a demonstrably false belief.

A belief is a particular type of thought that has a relation to the external world. It purports to be about it.

(or, more precisely, the relation is something like this: Belief --> Fact --> World. Facts are always correct, this is part of the meaning of 'fact'.)

If the content of the belief and the relevant facts about the world match up - then we say the belief is a true one. If they fail to match up, it is a false belief.

That these believers are correct inasmuch as they are right that they have this belief (to the extent that anyone ever is) - that is utterly irrelevant.

[ciphergoth.livejournal.com]

I'd be interested in your opinion about this:
This is not the way that philosophers get at the meaning of truth -- log rolling on powder kegs. They de-emotionalize the issues so that they can see through to the underlying logic.

Does that sound right to you - am I making a philosophically illegitimate move here? Thanks!

[jhg.livejournal.com]

Hmm.

You're both right!

Ciphergoth: Yes, any (analytic) philosopher worth their salt is fearless in their use of logic and reason to examine any and all issues, no matter how contentious.

but

Werenerd: they do not roll on 'powder kegs': i.e., generally philosophical debate does not take place in a public internet forum, where any idiot and/or extremist with axes to grind can come in and derail the whole thing.