Convergence and Divergence, DeCruz

Question 1

What is the idea behind the Condorcet jury theorem?

Answer 1

• If you have a bunch of sources of information that are all more reliable than chance, everyone forms judgments of this information independently, and the majority of people agree–then this is more justification than anything on its own
• if people generally get the right answer, then the majority thought is likely to be right

Question 2

What is an example of a situation in which agreement about p between different people provides more justification for believing p?

Answer 2

I believe that Dr. Talbot is a good teacher. Tess agrees with me that Dr. Talbot is a good teacher. Tess is currently a student of Dr. Talbot’s in the same class that I am.

Because I’m not maximally justified in believing that Dr. Talbot is a good teacher, Tess’ agreement with me that he is a good teacher provides me with more justification for believing that he is a good teacher.

Question 3

What is an example of a situation in which agreement about P does not provide more justification for believing P?

Answer 3

I believe that 2+2=4. Mac believes that 2+2=4. We are both already maximally justified in believing that 2+2=4, os the fact that Mac agrees with me does not change my justification (or provide me with more justification) for believing that 2+2=4

Question 4

What is independence?

Answer 4

There is nothing interfering with a person’s judgment besides the facts.

Question 5

Why is independence important to determining when convergence of judgments provides additional justification for beliefs?

Answer 5

Independence can determine when convergence of judgments provides additional justification of beliefs.

If people have independence in forming beliefs, then factors such as bias won’t play a role. Sometimes, convergence isn’t reliable because bias is at play. Independence ensures that people are not being bias about a subject, but are rather simply looking at the facts and creating their judgment from that and nothing/no one else.

Question 6

What is dependence?

Answer 6

Dependence occurs when a judgment of a belief is influenced by something else.

Question 7

Why is dependence important to determining when convergence of judgments provides additional justification for beliefs?

Answer 7

Dependence is important because it may create bias while judging specific beliefs. If bias is involved, convergence cannot provide additional justification for beliefs, because it is not relying on purely the facts at hand.

Question 8

What is DeCruz’s convergence argument? How does convergence and divergence in religious belief create at least some additional justification for religious belief?

Answer 8

1a. Convergence: People largely believe (broadly) that God Exists.
Divergence: People disagree about the details of God.
2a. Here is the most plausible view: people are reliable, they have random biases, or they have systematic biases.
3a. Convergence indicates either reliability or systematic biases
4a. Divergence shows that there are not systematic biases (because we all have differing views regarding the details of God)
5a. Thus, we have some justification for believing that God exists.

Summary: People agree that God exists, but people disagree about the details. This disagreement demonstrates that we do not have systematic biases. If we do not have bias, and the facts about God have been created independently, then we have some justification for believing that God exists.

Question 9

What would Alston say about DeCruz’s convergence argument?

Question 10

What might be a potential problem of the Condorcet Jury Theorem?

Answer 10

• if there’s a common cause not relating to the truth or if there’s a bias —> this is where the importance of independence comes in