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Epistemology
Quick questions on Scepticism, Descartes and Hume - TCE Philosophy (Tasmania)
2short Q&A pairs drawn directly from our worked dot-point answer. For full context and worked exam questions, read the parent dot-point page.
What is cartesian doubt?Show answer
In his Meditations on First Philosophy, Descartes adopts a method of doubt: he will reject any belief that could possibly be false, hoping to find an unshakeable foundation for knowledge. He notices first that the senses sometimes deceive us, so sensory beliefs are not certain. He then raises the dreaming argument: since dreams can feel exactly like waking life, you cannot be sure you are not dreaming right now. Finally he imagines an evil demon, a powerful deceiver who manipulates all his experiences, which would undermine even mathematics and logic.
What is evaluating scepticism?Show answer
A strong answer distinguishes the two scepticisms. Descartes doubts the external world and his own senses, seeking certainty. Hume grants the past but doubts our leap to the future. Notice that even Descartes' rebuilding depends on rejecting his strongest doubts, and Hume himself admits that in practice no one can live as a sceptic.
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