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Beliefs. Where do they come from?

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NiroZ:
Recently in my epistemology class, I came across something I'm embarrassed to say I'd never considered before, and that is the origin of beliefs. You know, where did you get the belief that the letter T is the letter T from? And where did you get the belief that supports your belief that the letter T is the letter T? And so on.

In answering this question, episimologists have come up with 4 explanations. None of them are particularly ideal IMHO.
These are that:
There is an infinite chain of justification. (Infinitism)
The chain of justification loops back in on itself (think of it like a giant spiderweb). (Coherentism)
There are no justified beliefs after all. (Scepticism)
The argument then proceeds that neither of these options are acceptable, so we have to reject the requirement that the source of all justification is inferential. (therefore, we have some unjustified beliefs that back up all our justified beliefs) (Foundationalism)

Currently, Coherentism and Foundationalism are the most popular.

So what I'd like to know is, as a sceptic, which one is preferable? Or is there another possibility that is ideal?

I mean, coherentism is scary simply because it means that all our beliefs are eventually circular, but then the best alternative to that is foundationalism, and that we have some unjustified beliefs backing up all our other beliefs. Which is equally scary.

Your thoughts?

Hanes:
Psychology is blackmagic and lies, in my opinion.  I wouldn't even know how to think about beliefs and their origins without a basic understanding of evolution, but with evolution it makes sense.  That none of the options mention the evolving perceptions on our ancestors brains makes me think they're all just blowing smoke; shit sounds good, but it's not grounded in anything.

Where do beliefs come from?  Our ancestors had simple brains that processed data, like a relay switch from the sensors to the actuators (muscles).  In order to do its task better, the brain began to create an ever more comples model of the universe around the organism, and predict future events.  Eventually brains got to the point where it could, by predicting the future and having a very good model, be able to do something new, something that wasn't based on genetics.  In order for these things to be passed on, genetic transfer wasn't sufficient.  It needed to be pased down from brain to living brain.  A meme was born.  Memes are units of cultural information that are replicated in brains.  An example is a good joke.  A good joke spreads and replicates.  It becomes a successful meme.  The joke might mutate and have the wording change.  Now there are two competing memes.  Memes evolve just like genes. 

Things like language and the letter T are memes.  T is a very successful symbol which represents a very successful sound which represents a part of an idea.  The ideas come from sensory data, processed by the brain.  Some of that processed data is memes being spread from another brain.  Every time you read a book, you are creating competition for some individual meme (or, if it's a good book, several memes) in your brain.  Which version will be best fitted to survive in the meme-ecosystem of your brain?  Right now, what am I trying to do?  I'm trying to infect your brain with the "meme" meme!  If it works, you'll "believe" (hold and spread) the meme.  Where did the "meme" meme come from?  It evolved from the meme of evolution.  Where did the "evolution" meme come from?  It evolved from even earlier memes, and it goes all the way back to the evolutionary origins of an advanced model-making, future-predicting machine we call the brain.

NiroZ:
That kind of avoids the question. It's not psychology, it's philosophy.

You seem to be forgetting that 'memes' need justification. So where did the justification for each 'meme' come from? Another 'meme'? Where does it end? Is there a single 'meme' that we are born with? (in which case, your arguing for foundationalism)

Hanes:
Not only did I not forget those points, but I'm pretty sure I talked about both the origin of memes and how they are based upon (or "justified against" or whatever if you want to use that word) the model-making the brain does, taking input from sensory data, genetic instructions, and memetic perceptions.

And I did mean to say philosophy not psychology as my first word.  I apologise for poo-poo-ing the wrong field.

NiroZ:

--- Quote from: Hanes on Mar 21, 2009, 12:23:53 AM ---Not only did I not forget those points, but I'm pretty sure I talked about both the origin of memes and how they are based upon (or "justified against" or whatever if you want to use that word) the model-making the brain does, taking input from sensory data, genetic instructions, and memetic perceptions.

--- End quote ---
Well then please bear with me. A simple 'yes' or 'no, I actually meant this' would suffice. I haven't read about meme's, or the evolutionary history of the brain to a large degree.

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