Skepticism

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Skepticism

• Motivations
• Lawhead pp. 50-51

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SkepticismEtymology

• The words skeptic and skepticism come from
  ancient Greek verb to inquire
• A skeptic is an inquirer.

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SkepticismDefinition

• We do not and cannot know anything
• Two degrees of skepticism
• Universal
• Limited
• Skeptics Strategyquestion the source of our
  beliefs

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The Point of Skepticism

• Understand what knowledge consists in
• An intellectual tool of clarification not a
  matter of denial or a way of life

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How do we Respond to Skepticism?

• Skeptics must give reasons for their position
• Recall that KJTB
• Skeptic attacks our justification for beliefs we
  hold
• Those who reject skepticism must show whats
  wrong with skeptics arguments

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Cartesian Arguments for Skepticism

• French philosopher Rene Descartes (1596-1650)
• Disappointed with education
• Aware of the value of math in new sciences
• Mission develop new philosophy which would
  provide absolute certainty and serve as a
  foundation
• Methodological Skepticism
• Strategy for discovering a solid epistemological
  foundation
• Intellectual tool of clarification
• Subject every belief to an acid bath of doubt to
  see if any survive
• If just a single belief passed test, it would be
  absolutely certain. It would form an
  epistemological foundation.
• Then reason from the truth of that belief to the
  truth of his other beliefs.

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Skeptical Argument 1Illusions

• Our senses sometimes deceives usa stick in water
  appears bent, there appears to be water on the
  road ahead, or when tracks appear to meet on the
  horizon.

Since beliefs based on sense perception are
doubtable, Descartes rejects them.
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Skeptical Argument 2Dreams

• Descartes immediately felt that he had gone too
  far, but then remembered that on other occasions
  he had believed he was sitting before the fire,
  looking at his hands, only to awaken later to
  discover that it was all a dream.

• Think about it
• How we can tell whether we are dreaming at any
  given moment?
• Have you asked yourself in a dream whether you
  are dreaming?
• Have you ever answered that you arent?

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Skeptical Argument 3

• Universal Belief Falsifiers
• (Brain in the Vat or The Matrix)

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Skeptical Argument 3Descartes Evil Genius

• What about mathematics?
• Even the simplest propositions of arithmetic can
  be called into question.
• What if the Creator of the universe was an evil
  genius whose sole purpose was to deceive?

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