Reply #142: Part of the trouble here is the word "believe"

[Selwynn]

A person saying:

Monkeys can not fly

Has every bit as much responsibility to justifiy that claim as a person saying:

Monkeys can fly

Who is also responsible to justify the claim.

Unfortunately, from a purely epistemic point of view the analogy of clowns in the room doesn't work. You cannot in fact prove that your senses are not in fact decieving you. It is possible there are clowns in the living room and you think there are no clowns in the living room.

I know I know - sounds ridiculous. That's why people hate philosophers. But it actually is an important obersvation, because there are in fact times where someone professes certainty of a claim who has in fact had his or her senses deceived in some way.