Limits of Knowlege(epistemology)

Question 1

philosophical scepticism vs normal doubts

Answer 1

Philosophical scepticism = Once in a lifetime occurrence, that is difficult to solve.
(eg whether god exists)

Normal doubt = everyday doubts that are easy to solve
(eg may be no parking spaces due to being half an hour later)

Question 2

Role of scepticism

Answer 2

1) To doubt everything (thus establishing nothing can be known -global scepticism)
2) used as a tool for establishing the opposite (certainty) - ie that which cannot be doubted

Question 3

Descartes 3waves of doubt

Answer 3

1) Illusion-> can doubt reliability of senses (ie straw in water)
2) Dreaming -> life is a dream (ie experience machine)
3) Deception -> Evil demon deceiving always

Question 4

response to scepticism

Answer 4

Descartes own response to Demon Deceiver :
- in order to be deceived i must exist (i think therefore i am)

Empiricist responses:
- Russell-> cat (other creatures exist)
- Locke -> Coherence of senses
- Berkeley -> can doubt reality, not the image in our brain of reality. Therefore. cannot doubt we are doubting

Question 5

philosophical vs normal scepticism eval

Answer 5

Normal:
- occurs frequently
- trivial/unimportant
- easily resolved

Philosophical:
- infrequent (Descartes argues once in a lifetime)
- important
- very difficult for resolve (if at all)

Question 6

incredulity meaning

Answer 6

doubt

Question 7

local scepticism + examples

Answer 7

= Where we may doubt some particular domain of knowledge

EG
- whether moral propositions express truths
- whether god exists
- whether i am currently having a veridical experience

Question 8

Global scepticism + examples

Answer 8

Where we doubt all knowledge, not just a particular domain.

Question 9

The inherent contradiction of global scepticism

Answer 9

• The claim “scepticism is true” is self-defeating; someone who is committed to global scepticism is committed to doubting everything, so they must also doubt that scepticism is true.

Question 10

Why is Descartes first and second waves of doubt not examples of global scepticism?
+
Why is the third wave of doubt an example of GS

Answer 10

Illusion + Dreaming = Not enough to doubt everything (in particular a priori knowledge).

Evil demon = Deceiving us about all things all the time, hence a prior and a posterior knowledge can be doubted).