Overview
Describe the theory of knowledge called skepticism. Consider the skeptic’s charge that we can never be confident about the reliability of our normal sources of knowledge (perceptions, memory, introspection, and reasoning.) Describe why and how, for each of the 4 sources mentioned, the source is unreliable. Use examples to show your understanding.
If a source of knowledge is unreliable, it means these sources can trick us into believing falsehoods. Does it follow from the fact that we are sometimes mistaken when we rely on these sources that we are always mistaken? In other words, once we admit it is possible that we are mistaken, does that mean that we need to admit that we might never be correct? How would you respond to the skeptic?
a minimum of 2 pages - 8-10 paragraphs
- Use your course texts to help you respond to the topic, and when you quote and summarize from the course texts, include information about the page reference.
- You are discouraged from using additional sources. If you do choose to use an outside source, be sure to cite your source, just as you do when you use the course texts. If you use a quotation or an example from a website, cite the website's URL and the date accessed
- Book is Philosophy Here and Now: Powerful Ideas in Everyday Life
Edition: Fourth (4th)
Author: Lewis Vaughn
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Copyright: 2021