How Belief Works is an ongoing series of articles on the psychology of belief that's best read in sequence.

Belief involves a claim. For example, we may believe that it's raining, or that David is vegetarian, or that democracy is the best form of government. And the term belief can refer to either the psychological state of belief – believing something – or the believed claim – something believed. For example, in the first sense my belief that Earth is round is distinct from someone else's belief that Earth is round, because they’re separate psychological states existing in different heads. But in the second sense they’re the same belief: Earth is round.

In the second sense, the term belief is often used to specifically mean a believed claim that’s either a moral, political, religious, philosophical or scientific claim, as when we refer to our ‘beliefs’. But the subject of How Belief Works is our belief of any kind of claim, however fundamental or mundane. Some of my current mundane beliefs are that my name is Derrick, I’m in my flat, I'm sitting on a chair at my desk, I'm typing these words, it's Tuesday morning, it’s sunny outside, and I went for a hike along a river yesterday.

Next article: How Beliefs Form – Part 1

How Belief Works