I think that whether or not you believe in an authors ideas depends on multiple things like:
- The state of mind you are in while reading... do you have an open mind?
- The conditions under which you were raised
- The credibility of the author's argument
- Whether or not you agree with the authors, even if they are credible, depends on the first two
So, which authors do I believe? And why do I believe them
IPCC: It just sounds right. They have government backed authority... why would I not believe them!!
Primo Levi: He demands us not to judge people. Says there is a gray area in every area of life. I don't really like to think of it like this. But, who doesn't believe a man whose survived the Holocaust?
Charles Darwin: Sure, its another scientific writing. But as a biology major, how can I not believe him? It happens right in front of us every day!
Benazir Bhutto: Okay, just the fact that SHE is ruling a MUSLIM country should tell me something about Muslims, correct?
So why should I believe any of these writers? Because, some how, some way, they relate to ME, they make sense to ME, and, even if I don't agree, their stories are so convincing that I still trust them... (this is going to be one crazy paper)