In response to:

It's All in Your Mind from the November 25, 1965 issue

To the Editors:

In reviewing Stuart Hampshire’s book, Freedom of the Individual, (NYR, Nov. 8), Mr. Morton White said that “I agree with Hampshire that a believer cannot at the same moment defend and causally explain his belief.” Will he consider the following:

“Why do you believe in this?”

“I believe in this because (as reason and cause at the same moment) Morton White told me so.”

Certainly, the reason given could be a bad reason, but this is not the issue. Also, the question, why, is ambiguous in the first place. Again this is not the issue. Will Mr. White show me what is wrong with my counter-example?

Sing-nan Fen

The University of Nebraska

This Issue

January 6, 1966