Mere belief as a modification
pp. 163-181
in: Anne Reboul (ed), Mind, values, and metaphysics II, Berlin, Springer, 2014Abstract
The chapter uses the method of linguistic phenomenology to explain how belief in the sense of mere opinion can be understood as botched knowing. The distinction between attributive and nonattributive terms plays a central role in this explanation of belief. Several kinds of nonattributive terms are distinguished, modifying, restrictive and restorative terms, each being of use in the explanation of epistemic notions. And several forms of modification are distinguished: semantic, conceptual and ontological modification.