suspension of disbelief

Question

Do the phrases 'suspension of disbelief' and 'suspension of belief' mean the same? If not, then can anyone tell me the individual meanings of the phrases?

Deadrat · Accepted Answer

"Suspension of disbelief" means putting aside natural skepticism. To enjoy a Harry Potter book or film you have to be willing to accept the reality of magic, even though this isn't something you do otherwise.

"Suspension of belief" is a philosophical term involved in discussing skepticism and the basis for accepting or rejecting propositions.

It's likely that you want "disbelief." Which term did you find or expect to use?

Anonymous · Answer

I was actually confused about the usage of both the phrases. Thanks for clarifying. One thing though, could you give an example of the usage of ''suspension of belief,'' like you did with 'suspension of disbelief?'

Deadrat · Answer

Sure, but please don't ask me to explain it in any detail. If you use the google to find the phrase, you'll get results that include the works of Kant and Wittgenstein, two sure signs that whatever concepts you're trying to master, your first attempts will be buried in an avalanche of words from which you'll never dig yourself out.

From a Wikipedia article on "Pyrrhonism," a philosophy of advanced skepticism about everything:

A Pyrrhonist tries to make the arguments of both sides as strong as possible. Then he asks himself if there is any reason to prefer one side to the other. And if not, he suspends belief in either side.

Upon doing which, he has engaged in a "suspension of belief." The best I can do is to say that a suspension of disbelief is always directed at a particular event, while the suspension of belief is a general philosophical stance.

I hope that helps more than hurts.

suspension of disbelief

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