James’a “will to believe” seems to be an impossibility because it is impossible to choose, decide, or will to believe anything.
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The claim that “James’s will to believe” is impossible because one cannot simply choose, decide, or will a belief touches on a long‐standing debate in epistemology and the philosophy of mind regarding whether belief formation is under voluntary control. William James’s essay “The Will to Believe” does not deny that many of our beliefs come about through processes that are largely involuntary or driven by evidence. Instead, his argument targets a specific set of circumstances—what he calls “genuine options”—where evidence is not decisive, yet a decision must be made. Below are some key points to consider:
1. Voluntarism vs. Involuntarism in Belief Formation
Critics’ Concern:
Many philosophers agree that belief formation is not entirely voluntary. One cannot simply “willed” oneself to believe something that one has no evidence for, or that runs counter to one’s innate cognitive dispositions. This is why a common criticism of James is that it seems impossible to just choose to believe in something purely by will or desire.
James’s Response:
James acknowledges that we cannot arbitrarily conjure a belief by sheer force of will in cases where the evidence firmly points one way or the other. His focus, however, is on situations where:
- The matter is undecidable by evidence alone: Neither hypothesis (for or against) can be conclusively confirmed by available evidence.
- The choice is forced: There is no viable alternative to making a decision (i.e., the option to remain noncommittal is not available).
- The option is momentous: The decision has significant, life-altering implications.
In these genuine options, what James argues is not that we can force an entirely alien belief into existence, but that our passional nature—our desires, hopes, and emotional commitments—can and does play a decisive role in tipping the scales where evidence is insufficient. The will, in this sense, is less about arbitrarily “choosing” a belief and more about acting on pre-existing inclinations or passions which, when coupled with decision-making conditions, allow us to adopt a belief that we might not otherwise fully “control” through reason alone.
2. The Role of Pre-Existing Dispositions
James’s Insight:
James makes a critical distinction between beliefs that are already “alive” (that is, they are plausible and open to the individual) and those that are “dead” (where the possibility of sincere belief is absent). For a belief to be a candidate for being “willed” into existence, it must be at least somewhat attractive or conceivable to the believer. In other words, if you already have a minimal, perhaps even subliminal, leaning towards one option over the other, then in a forced and momentous situation, your passional side can tip you into full-blown commitment. This does not mean you manufacture a belief ex nihilo; rather, you resolve an indeterminacy that your cognitive state did not decisively settle.
Implication for Voluntary Control:
Thus, while it may be true that one cannot simply decide to believe something utterly contrary to one’s current evidence or inclination, James is arguing for a kind of indirect voluntary control. When you are faced with a genuine option—one where reason is silent or neutral—the decision to “believe” is not an act of arbitrary will but is instead an act of commitment influenced by your passions and the significance of the choice in your life.
3. Practical Necessity Over Absolute Evidence
James’s Pragmatism:
Another aspect of James’s argument is that in many important matters (especially religious and moral decisions), the practical consequences of belief can create a kind of evidence of their own. For instance, if one adopts a belief that leads to a more fulfilling or morally coherent life, the practical outworking of that belief may itself contribute to its “truth” as experienced by the believer. This perspective is deeply pragmatic—it does not demand that beliefs be formed strictly on independent, objective evidence, but that they may be justified by the benefits and the necessity of acting in a context of genuine uncertainty.
Why This Matters:
Opponents might say, “But you can’t choose to believe!” and indeed, in many everyday cases, our beliefs are involuntary responses to the world. However, James’s point is that in the absence of decisive evidence, if the stakes are high, it is both rational and sometimes necessary to let your passions guide you. The alternative—waiting indefinitely for evidence that may never be forthcoming—could be more damaging than the risk of being wrong.
4. Summary and Critical Reflection
- Belief Formation Is Not Entirely Voluntary: Critics correctly point out that we often cannot directly choose to believe something contrary to our innate disposition or evidence. James does not deny this general feature of cognitive life.
- Genuine Options Allow for Passional Influence: In cases where evidence is ambiguous, and a choice is forced and momentous, our pre-existing inclinations (our passional nature) come into play. James argues that this kind of decision is not irrational; it is sometimes necessary to commit, and this commitment can even help “create” the conditions under which the belief becomes reinforced.
- Pragmatic Justification: For James, the practical gains (or losses) associated with a belief are critical. When the decision has significant consequences, it is not merely permissible but in some cases required to resolve the uncertainty by adopting the belief that promises a greater good.
- Indirect Control Over Belief: Although we may not be able to directly command our mind to accept a proposition in the strict sense, we can exert indirect influence over our belief formation by choosing to invest in the implications of one hypothesis over another when no conclusive evidence forces a decision.
In summary, while it is true in general that beliefs are not subject to direct, voluntary control, James’s “will to believe” does not claim that we can arbitrarily choose any belief at will. Instead, his argument specifically applies to cases of genuine, forced, and momentous options where, in the absence of decisive evidence, allowing one’s passions to guide a decision can be both rational and necessary for the practical outcomes of one’s life.
Citations
- For an overview of James’s argument and the concept of forced options, see en.wikipedia.org [Wikipedia: The Will to Believe].
- Discussions on the ethics of belief and evidentialism provide additional context for this debate (see en.wikipedia.org [Wikipedia: Ethics of Belief]).
- For further philosophical criticism and discussion on the control of belief, see relevant discussions in the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy articles on doxastic voluntarism and pragmatic justification.
This synthesis should help clarify that James’s notion does not presuppose an all-powerful, direct command of the will over belief, but rather leverages the interplay of our passions and commitment in situations where evidence does not rule out a decision.
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