Philosophy What makes a Belief True or False

Some of our beliefs turn out to be erroneous, and therefore it becomes necessary to consider how, if at all, we can distinguish knowledge from error. This problem does not arise with regard to knowledge by acquaintance, for, whatever may be the object of acquaintance, even in dreams and hallucinations, there is no error involved so long as we do not go beyond the immediate object: error can only arise when we regard the immediate object, i.e. The sense-datum, as the mark of some physical object. Thus the problems connected with knowledge of truths are more difficult than those connected with knowledge of things. As the first of the problems connected with knowledge of truths, let us examine the nature and scope of our intuitive judgments. (Russell, 1997)

All persons have beliefs. Beliefs are very close to all of us...

Truth is not a necessity of belief, as the quotation above implies. Meaning, we can believe in things that are both true and false; belief is not predicated on truth or its lack. Belief is more predicated on the associations people have with the particulars and universals by which their beliefs are governed. The associations that people have with the objects of the acquaintance to which particulars and universals refer, exert influence and strength over the person who believes in them.
As the quotation states, some of our beliefs turn out to be in things that we should not believe because they are false. The existence of true and false necessitates that those who care not to be ignorant regarding their beliefs distinguish the difference between what is true and what is false. Such types of people often prefer…