Next CHAP Event Presents a Discussion on Evidence and Belief

The Cultural and Historical Awareness Program (CHAP) at Porterville College is pleased to announce the next event of the Fall 2025 semester, featuring Timothy O. Linehan, Professor of Philosophy at College of the Sequoias.

Professor Linehan will present a lecture titled: “Reasonable Belief: Must We Always Proportion Our Belief to the Evidence?”

The event will take place on Friday, October 17th, from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM in the Porterville College Theater. This lecture is free and open to the entire community.

The presentation will explore the challenging question: Is it always necessary to proportion one’s belief to the available evidence? This is a core question in philosophy, framed by the classic debate between W.K. Clifford, who argued for the obligation to only believe what the evidence supports, and William James, who argued that it can sometimes be reasonable to believe beyond the evidence.

Consider the following: Don’t believe anything unless it’s backed by solid evidence. It sounds like reasonable advice. But is it? Clifford defended the view that we are obligated to proportion our beliefs to the available evidence. James, by contrast, argued that it can sometimes be reasonable to believe beyond the evidence. Religious belief is his most provocative example. In his talk, Professor Linehan will defend James’s position and explore the idea that, at times, believing beyond the evidence is not only reasonable—but essential to a flourishing human life.

The lecture is free and open to the public. For more information on the CHAP program at PC, you can visit the CHAP Web Site at https://www.portervillecollege.edu/about-pc/chap/index.html or contact CHAP Coordinator Leslie Keele at leslie.keele@portervillecollege.edu.

Event Details:

• What: “Reasonable Belief: Must We Always Proportion Our Belief to the Evidence?”
• Who: Professor Timothy O. Linehan, College of the Sequoias
• When: Friday, October 17, 2025, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
• Where: Porterville College Theater, 100 E College Ave, Porterville, CA 93257
• Cost: Free and open to the public.

About Professor Linehan: Timothy O. Linehan is a Professor of Philosophy at College of the Sequoias (COS) in Visalia. He is also the creator of the popular philosophy YouTube channel “Let’s Get Logical.” Before moving to Visalia in 2017, Professor Linehan taught at McHenry County College and Westmont College.