Questions tagged [skepticism]
The skepticism tag has no usage guidance.
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What is the philosophical position that a metaphysical debate is caused by different mental models?
I'm looking for authors, papers, and hopefully, the name of the philosophical position that I describe here. I've seen a couple of papers so I know that they exist, but I can't recall the authors or ...
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57 views
How did Descartes made a logical skeptic argument against logic, without falling into a paradox, in his Metaphysical Meditations? Is it actually valid
René Descartes seems to have made some arguments against logic and mathematics in his Metaphysical Meditations, however it seems that these arguments are still logical, and the problem is whether that ...
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1answer
99 views
What is the relationship between Anekantavada and Pyrrhonic skepticism?
Best skeptic arguments, five tropes of Agrippa are these: (wiki)
Dissent – The uncertainty demonstrated by the differences of opinions among philosophers and people in general.
Progress ad infinitum – ...
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1answer
36 views
The Problem of the Criterion in the history of philosophy
In his 1966 book Theory of Knowledge Roderick Chisolm provides two sets of questions:
What do we know? or What is the extent of our knowledge?
How do we know? or What is the criterion for deciding ...
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1answer
100 views
What do you call refusing to accept any proposition when there is any remote possibility it could be false?
What do you call the philosophical position of a person who radically denies any knowledge saying the contrary might be true.
Example:
Aspirin cures headaches.
Response: There are people on which ...
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2answers
106 views
Does the brain in a vat problem shift the burden of proof?
When I've encountered arguments about the brain in a vat problem, they went something like
We could be brains in a vat, with a simulated reality,
how could we know we are not?
But isn't this ...
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0answers
62 views
What should I learn beforehand to understand Jordan B Peterson's view on symbolism?
To begin to Understand Peterson's View on Symbolism and it's manifestation and representation, what prior works are recommended to read/review that either serve as the basis for his conjectures, or ...
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5answers
121 views
When can we have certainty in what we claim to know?
This is a question that my friends asked me a few times. I am confused, because I have been trying to answer this question myself, but I can't seem to come up with any valid answer. For example, what ...
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2answers
53 views
How do radical skeptics address the following knowledge "Something may be or may not be"?
How do radical skeptics address the following knowledge "Something may be or may not be"? The proposition "Something may be or may not be" covers all possibilities and therefore is ...
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2answers
71 views
Are there other reasons than "the world is an illusion" that the radical skeptics use to doubt almost everything?
Are there other reasons than "the world is an illusion or a simulation" that the radical skeptics use to doubt almost everything? I don't think there's a better reason than it, but maybe ...
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4answers
2k views
Is there any counterexample given against radical skepticism?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radical_skepticism
I am thinking that simple statement such as "I am", "I think" are all beliefs that are also knowledge and conditional statements ...
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4answers
187 views
Question about Cogito, ergo sum
As far as I know Decartes tried to prove that he existed from the fact that he was thinking.
And he thought this was only proof. My question is following:
-- why is the argument brought up above, ...
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84 views
Question about the IEP’s (Michael Huemer’s) formulation of phenomenal conservatism
(I posted the identical question on the AskPhilosophy subreddit.)
I first learned about phenomenal conservatism under a different name, “the principle of credulity”, from the philosopher of religion ...
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2answers
94 views
Is there any proof of assertion that "assertion can be proved"?
Here's some reason to doubt any proof:
Dissent – The uncertainty demonstrated by the differences of opinions among philosophers and people in general.
Progress ad infinitum – All proof rests on ...
2
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1answer
85 views
Is doubting inner world is like doubting external world? [closed]
Does scepticism of external world and sceptical on inner world of same level?
Like someone doubting external world doesn't exists, it is illusion or process or emergence by inner world, only inner ...
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2answers
107 views
Is it self-defeating for commentators to tell people not to believe or trust the media?
For example: let's suppose that I am a conspiracy theorist and commentator, my job is to report what goes on in the world of politics, social media, and give my opinions.
Is it self-defeating to tell ...
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30 views
Could a Pyrrhonic Skeptic Procedurally know?
is the concept of Procedural Knowledge, inconsistent with Pyrrhonic Skepticism?
i ask this as, it does not seem that Procedural Knowledge coincides with the model of Knowledge espoused by Pyrrhonic ...
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4answers
207 views
Is Philosopical Skepticism self-defeating?
Whilst researching philosophical skepticism, I found this answer to the question here which states the following:
[Jon Erison] Extreme skepticism is in fact self-defeating. According the the ...
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8answers
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Is watching an amputated limb regrow proof of the supernatural?
A typical challenge skeptics present when confronted with claims of alleged miracles is "why won't God Heal amputees?". But, would that do the job? Consider the following thought experiment: ...
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1answer
171 views
Can you give other examples of skeptical hypotheses that haven't been mentioned yet?
I need some help with my philosophy homework. We were told to formulate our own skeptical hypothesis and use it as part of a radical skeptical argument, and that the skeptical hypothesis needs to be ...
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1answer
48 views
What's Sextus Empiricus recommended book about scepticism?
Having read Cicero's Academics, I'd like to learn a bit more about skepticism (through original texts, not summaries).
If a had to read only one book from Sextus Empiricus, would you recommend the ...
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534 views
Philosophical assumptions underlying science
I am a medical student and have been interested lately in the foundations of the scientific research method I have been taught.
I've read that there is in fact no such thing as a unique scientific ...
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0answers
73 views
How can beliefs be justified when they are always subject to Cartesian skepticism?
It seems obvious to me that after glancing at my watch I "know" what time it is. But this apparent "knowledge" can be explained away by infinitely many skeptical hypotheses. ...
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19 views
The anatomy of miracles [duplicate]
I myself think miracles are phenomena that cannot be explained by extant accepted theories.
Now, science and scientific method claims to reject miracles and propose a reason and logic for every ...
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1answer
76 views
Where does Moore admit that no one really knows the truth about those propositions that supposedly we all know?
Alfred Jules Ayer, in a conference where he exposes the achievements of Moore, starts it by saying:
"It is true that Moore diminishes the force of his position by adding that no one knows the ...
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5answers
487 views
How do philosophers respond to global skepticism?
I saw a video of a philosopher (Robert Audi) who said that common sense is the best response we can give to global skepticism. I would agree, but it's not clear to me what the nature of common sense ...
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1answer
171 views
Chalmers'argument that the brain in the VAT does not lead to skepticism [closed]
Chalmers gave an argument that the brain in the VAT does not lead to skepticism (even if I am the brain in the VAT, I can also say "I have one hand is true") in his "The Matrix as Metaphysics"(for the ...
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2answers
99 views
Is it epistemically untenable to posit a total explanation of reality?
I am certainly not well-versed in metaphysics, so please correct the terminology I have employed throughout.
When I speak of a total explanation of reality, I am describing an explanation that ...
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1answer
217 views
Do philosophers recognize a deeper problem behind issues like the Problem of the Criterion or the Munchausen Trilemma?
First off, I would like to make it clear that I'm not implying I discovered some secret knowledge about the problems mentioned in the title that has alluded other philosophers for the past 2000+ years....
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1answer
115 views
Is existence a necessary condition for thinking? [closed]
Is existence a necessary condition for thinking?
Descartes argues that because he thinks, he exists. But wouldn't he have to exist in the first place for him to:
A) Think and
B) Realize that he ...
0
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2answers
726 views
Do stories contain "Meta-truth"? Jordan Peterson
I am hoping someone can help me find what is wrong and/or right with the idea of "meta-truth". I am also curious as to what can be problematic. ..I don't think "meta-truth" is defined officially.
...
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1answer
161 views
Epistemic pluralism’s potential slippery slope into epistemic nihilism
William James long ago noted that:
“Up to about 1850 almost everyone believed that sciences expressed
truths that were exact copies of a definite code of non-human
realities. But the enormously ...
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1answer
336 views
Hume on infinity
I know Hume argued against dividing finite space into infinitely many regions, but I can't seem to find anything regarding his thoughts on infinity itself. From his Enquiry you sort of get that he ...
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0answers
74 views
Some questions about skepticism and the principle of knowledge?
What about this principle? ("if K (P - > ~ Q), then ~ k (~ Q) - > ~ k (P)") (if you know (P implies non-Q, then you don't know non-Q implies don't know P)
I learnt about that Nozick gave an anti ...
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2answers
768 views
I could prove: Solipsism is wrong. Is my argument acceptable?
Solipsism is the idea that one cannot be sure of anyone's existence but only themself. I think that one can assume this idea to be right and then prove that this is wrong. This self-inconsistency ...
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33 views
Is voting on taxes ethical without being presented the "numbers"?
if I base my vote (on taxes) based on republican or democrat anecdote, as well as my own paycheck, is it the right thing for for me to do, to vote on taxes? I am trying to skeptically look at voting (...
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2answers
338 views
Does externalism solve the Münchhausen trilemma?
In traditional (access-)internalist epistemology, justification is a relation between beliefs, or sets of beliefs. My belief that it will rain today is justified by beliefs about the season, my ...
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189 views
How do we know we could be brains in vats? [closed]
So-called skeptics usually claim that we don't know some normal facts because they know some abnormal fact about some possibility that undermines knowledge. How do these people know their modal claims ...
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1answer
194 views
How does imprecise and ambiguous natural language relate to the equivocation fallacy and how can we know what words mean?
I am feeling really confused on how we colloquially use and redefine words and sometime use the equivocation fallacy. I have fallen into equivocation language traps before, and as I become more aware ...
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2answers
86 views
Bayes and unknown probabilites: is this reasoning from the failure of explanation a fallacy?
Bayesian probability is an interpretation of the concept of
probability, in which, instead of frequency or propensity of some
phenomenon, probability is interpreted as reasonable expectation
...
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3answers
389 views
Serious arguments against skepticism about the external world?
As we all know, Kant wrestled with Cartesian skepticism for a long time. And of course, Descartes himself did, but he appeals to a version of the ontological argument which is not very persuasive.
...
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3answers
126 views
Doubt about the possibility of knowing someone is actually saying the truth [closed]
Except for a few cases in which you can have proof someone is saying the truth, can you actually ever know if someone is being honest when they say things like "I love you", "this is nice" or "you ...
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2answers
598 views
Would answering belief challenges be the same as the scientific method?
Let's say I believe this statement: "all swans are white". Someone comes and asks me these Socratic questions: "is it true that all swans are white?", "is there an instance that a swan is not white?", ...
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121 views
How can the position of skepticism avoid becoming incoherent on the problem of the criterion?
Concerning the problem of the criterion, there has been said to be three traditional responses: methodism, particularism, or skepticism. Although other philosophers have proposed that there are more ...
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0answers
72 views
Name of fallacious reasoning about the reality of abstractions
There is a kind of reasoning that is often heard, where the irreality of some abstraction is inferred from the fact that entities that fall under it are not perfectly homogenous.
(1) A lot of times ...
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1answer
132 views
An Argument that Knowledge is a Matter of Choice
I have met someone who argues as follows:
What I know depends on what axioms I take. As these axioms are left unjustified, I have as much justification for them as for their negations, so I could ...
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1answer
247 views
Is it possible to track the truth?
Epistemology seems to show that knowledge is always fallible. How can that position be satisfying at all? It seems to me that we are eternally condemned to hope we are going in the right direction and ...
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1answer
164 views
How are the assumptions underlying logic chosen?
Logic works based on certain assumptions about its rules. How are these axiomatic assumptions selected in the first place, given that a system of logic does not exist prior to the point of selection?
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2answers
412 views
Are there any certainties besides "Cogito, ergo sum"?
Descartes said, "Cogito, ergo sum(I think, therefore I am)". I agree with him on the fact that this is the only thing that we can ever truly know for sure. Is there anyone who could tell me if there ...
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4answers
818 views
Is Solipsism self-defeating?
If only my mind existed it would have to create the concept of time but nothing can be created without time, therefore solipsism is self-defeating. Shouldn't this automatically rule out solipsism?