Clifford, it may be recalled, maintained that ‘It is wrong always, everywhere, and for everyone, to believe anything upon insufficient evidence’.

The gap

Consensus across the literature

Supporting evidence — 3 representative gaps

• Clifford’s Principle and James’s Options (2006) · doi

  Clifford’s principle, “It is wrong always, everywhere, and for anyone, to believe anything upon insufficient evidence” and an objection to it based on William James’s contention that “Our passional nature not only lawfully may, but must, decide an option between propositions, whenever it is a genuine option that cannot by its nature be decided on intellectual grounds.

  Keywords: nature option clifford principle wrong always everywhere anyone believe anything upon insufficient evidence objection based
• PRAGMATIC ENCROACHMENT: IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT KNOWLEDGE (2012) · doi

  Here we argue that, barring infallibilism, there is pragmatic encroachment on what is arguably a more fundamental epistemic status – the status a proposition has when it is warranted enough to be a reason one has for believing other things.

  Keywords: status here argue barring infallibilism there pragmatic encroachment arguably fundamental epistemic proposition warranted enough reason
• William James and the Ethics of Belief (1983) · doi

  Clifford, it may be recalled, maintained that ‘It is wrong always, everywhere, and for everyone, to believe anything upon insufficient evidence’.

  Keywords: clifford recalled maintained wrong always everywhere everyone believe anything upon insufficient evidence