Guided reading Questions James’ "Will to Believe" I. 1. How does James define hypothesis? 2. Define live hypothesis. 3. Define dead hypothesis. 4. What are the differences between living option and dead one? 5. What are the differences between genuine option and forced one? 6. What are the differences between momentous option and trivial one? IV. What is the thesis that James defends? What does James say about not deciding? IX. What does James say of moral questions? How does he define moral questions? what decides having moral beliefs? When does a "liking" never come? "The desire for a certain kind of truth here brings about that special truth’s existence…" What do you think James means? What do you think of James’ highwaymen example? "There are, then, cases where a fact cannot come at all unless a preliminary faith exists in its coming." What does James mean? X. 1. According to James, what two things does religion say? 2. Is religion a momentous or trivial option? Why? 3. Is religion a forced option or genuine one? Why? 5. Is religion a live hypothesis? 8. James says he can’t willfully agree to agnosticism. Why? 9. James says, "A rule of thinking which would absolutely prevent me from acknowledging certain kinds of truths if those kinds of truths were really there, would be an irrational rule." What does he mean?