The sceptical challenge [[electronic resource] /] / Ruth Weintraub

• Autore: Weintraub Ruth <1955->
• Pubblicazione: London ; ; New York, : Routledge, 1997
• Descrizione fisica: 1 online resource (154 p.)
• Disciplina: 121/.2
• Soggetto topico: Skepticism; Philosophy
• Soggetto genere / forma: Electronic books.
• Note generali: Description based upon print version of record.
• Nota di bibliografia: Includes bibliographical references (p. 131-135) and index.
• Nota di contenuto: Cover; THE SCEPTICAL CHALLENGE; Title Page; Copyright Page; Table of Contents; Acknowledgements; Abbreviations; Introduction; 1 KNOWLEDGE, JUSTIFICATION AND TRUTH; Introduction; The concept of epistemic justification; The circle of belief; Why does justification matter?; Knowledge without justification; Knowledge: beyond truth and justification; Does knowledge-scepticism matter?; Conclusion; 2 THE SCEPTICAL LIFE; Radical scepticism; The agnostic life; Is it possible to suspend belief?; The logical defense of agnosticism; The ethical defense of agnosticism ; The implementation of the sceptical doctrine The sceptical doctrine and the practical difficulties; 3 THE CHALLENGE; Two types of scepticism; The sceptical doctrine and its justification; Further solutions; A way out of the predicament; 4 THE RESPONSE; Our objective; Our strategy; Naturalized epistemology?; Modest epistemology; 5 DESCARTES' SCEPTICAL CHALLENGE; Introduction; The Cartesian Circle; The source of the circularity: one diagnosis; Descartes is not an antecedent sceptic; A non-circular response to consequent scepticism?; Doing without the principle of clarity and distinctness? ; Beginning with the principle of clarity and distinctness?An alternative diagnosis of the circle; 6 INDUCTIVE SCEPTICISM; Introduction; Whose problem is it anyway?; The first premise; The second premise; The third premise; The fourth and fifth premises; The argument newly couched; 7 SCEPTICISM AND THE STRUCTURE OF JUSTIFICATION; Introduction; Terminology; Arguments against terminating chains of justification; An argument against infinite justification chains; A second argument against infinite justification chains; Arguments against circular justification chains ; Is groundless justification trivial?Is terminating justification trivial?; Triviality: a red herring; 8 INDUCTIVE SCEPTICISM REVISITED; Introduction; What justification are we seeking?; Can induction's reliability be shown deductively?; Must induction be non-empirically justified?; The apriorist urge; Can induction be justified empirically?; The justification of induction; 9 TRANSCENDENT SCEPTICISM AND INFERENCE TO THE BEST EXPLANATION; Introduction; Is the unobservable epistemically inaccessible?; Van Fraassen's argument; Hume's argument; Russell's first argument; Russell's second argument ; Moderate scepticism?10 THE DEMON ARGUMENT REVISITED; Introduction; Denying the second premise?; Denying the first premise; Williams' objection; Inferring the world from appearances; Alston's objection; Further objections rebutted; Transcendental arguments; 11 THE DREAM ARGUMENT REVISITED; Introduction; Rejecting the first premise; Sextus' dream argument; Conclusion; Notes; Bibliography; Index
• Sommario/riassunto: Do we really know the things we think we know? Are any of our beliefs reasonable? Scepticism gives a pessimistic reply to these important epistemological questions - we don't know anything; none of our beliefs are reasonable. But can such a seemingly paradoxical claim be more than an intellectual curiosity? And if it is, can it be refuted? Ruth Weintraub answers yes to both these questions. The sceptical challenge is a formidable one, and should be confronted, not dismissed. The theoretical and practical difficulties it presents - in that the sceptical life cannot be lived, and the doctrine
• Titolo autorizzato: The sceptical challenge
• ISBN: 1-280-33046-5; 1-134-77088-X; 0-203-28386-4; 0-203-06745-2
• Formato: Materiale a stampa
• Livello bibliografico: Monografia
• Lingua di pubblicazione: Inglese
• Record Nr.: 9910450982803321
• Lo trovi qui: Univ. Federico II
• Serie: International library of philosophy.