Belief is a Response Policy: Comment on Cosmic Variance

I left this comment on this blog post from Sean at Discover.

I am currently trying on the proposition that ’belief’ does not exist even to a professed believer in something or other. This is an extension of Dan Dennett’s ’belief in belief’. That is belief(1) in belief(2) indicates that there is at best a weak belief(1) in the object pointed to by belief(2). Dennett seems to mean on the surface that the authentic subjective belief(1) is merely a response to others verbal reports of a REAL belief(2) that the believer of belief(1) sincerely wishes, hopes or prays for at some later time but needs a rain check at present.
What I have is a response policy to other folks behavior – including subjective verbal production. When someone tells me they ’believe’ in Thor I can only try to discern compliance with Norse ethics and morality as evidenced by their behaviors. I can only respond to what they do. I don’t believe in meaning – I respond to meaning. I don’t believe in belief – I respond to the behavior of the professed believer. Believe it or not.