Chapter 12 Flashcards
(13 cards)
Why does Reid believe that we can’t trust reason more than our senses?
“They both came out of the same shop, and were made by the same artist; and if he puts one piece of false ware into my hands, what should hinder him from putting another?”
What does Dr. Stokes mean by “to doubt reason, you need to trust it”?
The act of doubting requires use of reason. Thus, when we doubt reason, we are relying upon reason to do so.
What is the word for believing someone based on their testimony?
faith
What would happen if you decided to never believe anyone’s testimony?
You would have nothing left to believe in. In order to gain any knowledge from anything, you must believe the testimonies of other people.
What are two great lessons we can learn from the Enlightenment?
1) Any argument for the reliability of our cognitive faculties is circular
2)Given this, the basis of all knowledge must be faith
Since we can’t give an argument for the reliability of our senses, what can we give instead? What question does this leave us with?
Instead, we can give an an explanation. An explanation is different than an argument; it is a story. Now we only have to answer this question: who has the best explanation?
Reid writes that “the wisdom of philosophy is set in opposition to the common sense of mankind.” What does he mean by this? Whose side is Reid on, philosophy or common sense?
Philosophers have reasoned their way into believing that there is no such thing as a material world, and assume that “too much learning is apt to make men mad”. Reid writes that the belief of a material world is older, and of more authority, than any principles of philosophy.
What addition to the skeptical system does Reid propose?
That the belief of the existence of impressions and ideas, is as little supported by reason as that of the existence of minds and bodies.
Reid observes that to argue from a hypothesis against facts is contrary to the rules of true philosophy. What facts does he believe the skeptics are arguing against?
He believes skeptics are arguing against the fact that all people are born with a fixed belief in a material world, a belief which even reason can’t shake.
If Reid found out nature was deceiving him, what would be his response?
He would put up with it quietly because if he stopped trusting his senses, he would break his nose on the nearest post.
According to Reid, what makes a skeptic hypocritical?
A skeptic claims to completely disbelieve the information of his senses, yet he acts to keep out of harm’s way, relying on his senses to do so.
What is the difference between the testimony of humans and the testimony of nature?
Humans can live or break their promises, making us distrust their testimonies. But nature is confirmed by the uniformity and consistency of her laws.
Explain Reid’s metaphor of a tree.
He uses it as a metaphor for all we know of nature: perception is the root, common understanding is the trunk, and sciences are the branches.
