limits of knowledge

Question 1

define scpeticism

Answer 1

teh view that our usual justifications for claiming our beliefs amount to knwowledge is inadequate and so we do not have knowledge ( doudting of knowledge claims

Question 2

Global scepticism

Answer 2

doudting of all knowledge cliams, especially the external mind-independant wolrd

Question 3

local scpeticism

Answer 3

doduting about some particular cliam or area of knowledge

Question 4

Outline the skeptical porblme of knowledge

Answer 4

if i am a brain in a vat, my belifs about teh wolrd are mostly false.
If i am a brain in a vat, my experience woudl be exactly the same as if i were not
so i cannot know that i am not a brain in a vat
so my belifs about teh world are not justified 9 even if i am not a brain in a vat
so I dont have knowledge about the extrenal wolrd

Question 5

explain the diffrence beyween scpeticisma nd regular incredulity

Answer 5

Scepticism is the doudting of the justification fro a knowldeg claima nd is theortical ( will not alter behavior. wheras regular incredulity ( everyday doudts) tend to merely attack the certainity of a knowldeg claim, still works with partical questiosn which woudl alter behavior. ( doudting of if it will rain today vs if the extrenal wolrd exists)

Question 6

Outline the idealist response to the brain in a vat argument. (5)

Answer 6

In Berkley’s idealism there is no gap between our perception and the object as there is no mind-independent reality to be perceived. Instead the immediate object of our perception are min-dependants objection created by the volition of God. This responds to the sceptic because in denying that matter exists, Berkeley can argue we have certain knowledge of reality because reality is what exist in our minds, which we are directly aware of. If physical objects are no more than what they appear to be then there is nothing hidden between our perception and reality and so no gap between the perceiver and the perceived to cats doubt on ( no room for sceptical arguments)

Question 7

Explain Russell’s claim that the existence of the external world is the ‘best hypothesis’. (5)

Answer 7

Russell is an empiricist who dismisses skeptical arguments on the grounds that the existence of a physical world is a better explanation. We cannot conclusively prove the physical world to exits, but nor can we conclusively prove the physical world to not exist. According to Russel the physical world hypothesis is a better explanation as it ca explain our sense experience and why its is predictable. For example if I leave an apple in draw and it become rotten, a physical world would be able to count for this because the apple physically exist and undergoes a change, but if no physical world exists then the apple becoming rotten is simply another mystery.

Question 8

what is descartes own proof of an extrenal wolrd (5m)

Answer 8

Descartes responce to global scpeticism at teh end of mediations 1 is to use intuition and deduction. He begisn with the cogito. he argues that even if an evil demon is decieving him, descartes can know that he exists and that he thinks. he can know about his own mind and the thoughts he has. H ethen builds on this by developing his theoyr of ckera and distinct ideas. this enables him to argue that the truths of mathematics are indubitable and so he can knwo these as well

Question 9

What is descartes method of doudt (3m)

Answer 9

In order to prove the extrenal wolrd Descartes adopt global scepticsm. It involves systematically doubting all beliefs that can be called into question, to establish what can be known with certainty.

Question 10

what are the three waves of doudt

Answer 10

the steps descartes takes in his method of doust of doudting all his justifictaion. firts he doudts his sense expience because it coudl be an illusion, then he doudts perception ( all types) because we could be dreaming, and finally descartes doudts mathematics and reason because an evil demon could be manipulating him