The Ethics of Belief (W.K. Clifford)

William K. Clifford’s "The Ethics of Belief" argues that forming beliefs responsibly is a moral duty. He contends that believing something without sufficient evidence is ethically wrong because our beliefs influence actions and can impact others. Clifford emphasizes that it’s not enough to simply wish or accept beliefs; we should only believe what we have good reason to support. Unjustified beliefs can lead to harm or falsehoods, so individuals have a moral obligation to diligently examine evidence before forming convictions. Essentially, Clifford advocates for intellectual honesty and responsible belief formation as ethical imperatives.