Belief analysis

Belief analysis is a list of rules for displaying the structure of a belief. There are 6 rules listed below.

• The belief should be stated using a single sentence
• List reasons to support the belief (no more than 4-5 reasons)
• Each reason should be stated with a short sentence
• After each reason, list sub-reasons to support that reason (quotes or original writing)
• Each sub-reason should be no longer than 2-3 sentences
• There should be no more than 2-3 sub-reasons per reason

Belief analysis requires reasons to be stated clearly and provides a consistent format to organize supporting material. By making the structure of a belief more transparent, I believe this method can help opposing sides in an argument understand each other more clearly. Instead of reading through paragraphs to interpret somebody's reasoning, belief analysis ensures that the main points are clear to the reader.

Belief analysis does not automatically determine which side more true in an argument. Belief analysis is based on the idea that reason is inherently subjective to a degree. When we make beliefs, we often take a few related facts and subjectively derive the conclusion from those facts. Usually our beliefs are not based on mathematical equations or logical deduction, but rather they are based on a subjective feeling for what feels right. Belief analysis allows us to see the reasons in an argument, but it does not tell how good the reasons are.