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Why don't formalized proofs make formalism true?

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Final answer:

Formalized proofs do not guarantee the truth of a belief or the validity of a formal system. Inferences that use false premises cannot be considered true knowledge. Gilbert Harman's argument states that a person's belief cannot be based on false premises.

Step-by-step explanation:

Formalized proofs do not make formalism true because the truth of a belief is not always appropriately connected to the evidence used to deduce that belief. In cases where the reasoning leading to a belief passes through false steps or premises, the belief cannot be considered true knowledge. Philosophers like Gilbert Harman have argued that a person's belief cannot be based on an inference that uses false premises. Therefore, formalized proofs alone cannot guarantee the truth of a belief or the validity of a formal system.

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