what does it mean "I believe that fire is hot"? [closed]
I found "I believe that fire is hot" sentence in the internet.
In the point of view of my country language, that kind of sentence is strange. It's just like someone say "I believe that my mother is a woman".
So, what does it mean "I believe that fire is hot" ?
Addition:
I've just downloaded the article which contains that sentence. :
With all due respect to these previous efforts (and many more I have not the time to synopsize), I will here propose my own continuum of belief types, with a somewhat different emphasis than any of those above. My main concern is to distinguish types of verification and degrees of commitment.
Here are some examples: I believe that fire is hot; I believe that an ax is a tool for chopping; I believe in gravity; I believe the earth rotates around the sun. I believe that the bird I saw was a raven; I believe you left the light on. I am convinced that there is a universal conspiracy against me. I believe God speaks to me and that I am his messenger.
These beliefs are differentiated on a number of levels. In the first instance, the belief that fire is hot is indisputable and proven by immediate personal experience. Fire burns. Source
Which I don't quite understand, if it's proven by immediate personal experience, why the sentence still use the word "believe" ?.
Isn't it just like somebody see it's raining and say "I believe it's raining now" ?
More addition:
To me, it will make sense if the one who say "I believe that fire is hot" has not experienced it yet. For example a kid who is about to touch a fire, the mother say : "don't touch it. it's hot".
If the kid believe his mother's words, then it makes sense if the kid say "I believe that fire is hot".
If the kid doesn't believe his mother's words, then the kid may say "I don't believe you" which indirectly means in the point of view of the kid "that fire is hot" is not correct. Assumed the kid ignore his mother's words, so he touch the fire and find it's hot. Wouldn't it'll be more appropriate that the kid say : "now I believe you, Mom" than "now I believe that fire is hot" ?
As it states, it's giving a range of the "continuum of belief types", starting with something that is essentially indisputable and ending with things that require a strong religious bias. The point is that "believe" can be applied to any of these, so one must always analyze statements of belief in the context of the subject and the speaker.
Out of context, we can only guess to the intent.
It could be a retort to a person making their own statement, thinking they are sharing some new discovery or revelation. "I believe that fire is hot", as if to say, "tell me something that isn't obvious."
Your own example is one that would be similar in tone.
On the other hand, the phrase appears in a paper "What is Bread" The Anthology of Belief
I will here propose my own continuum of belief types, with a somewhat different emphasis than any of those above. My main concern is to distinguish types of verification and degrees of commitment. Here are some examples: I believe that fire is hot; I believe that an ax is a tool for chopping; I believe in gravity; I believe the earth rotates around the sun. I believe that the bird I saw was a raven; I believe you left the light on. I am convinced that there is a universal conspiracy against me. I believe God speaks to me and that I am his messenger.
Here, we see no sarcasm or insult, just a set of thoughts that form a logical discussion.
NOTE: OP edited this exact text just as I finished my answer. Timing is everything.