This is made in philosophy bites with me David Edmonds and me Nigel Warburton.

Philosophy bites is available at www

philosophy bites.com.

Philosophy bites is made in association with the Institute of Philosophy.

The fact that different people have different beliefs about the world is kind of important.

That person A believes in Christianity and person B in Islam. Wars are fought over beliefs,

politics divided by them. Disagreement about beliefs can break up friendships and marriage.

If people shared more beliefs, the world would be calmer, more peaceful.

You've also, no doubt, a little duller.

So how come people with different beliefs approach consensus about whose beliefs are right and who's wrong?

Jonathan Glover believes he has at least a partial answer.

Jonathan Glover, welcome to Philosophy Bites.

Thank you.

We're going to be talking about systems of belief.

Can we just begin by saying what that topic is and why it's

of philosophical concern? Well what I'm struck by is that individual people often

have very different beliefs. Some people are religious, some are not, some

are socialists, some are capitalists, some are capitalists, some are liberals, some conservatives, and also

societies quite often have dominant systems of belief.

And sometimes those societies commit conflict with each other and wars are fought over religion or political ideology.

I haven't struck that if people have these belief systems,

this is really what philosophy has been about more or less in Socrates.

...