Epistemology
Sceptcism:
Why Philosophers have raised doubts about the success of
both R + E in Understanding the World:
Ratonalism:
Descartes (illustrated under following heading)
Strengths Weaknesses
Certainty – we can ‘k’ the Cogito Limits how much we can ‘k’ as we cannot ‘k’
anything from xp
Hume
Problem of Language
Success of ratooaalss ls alslted because of the alslted koowaedge we cao have uoder Descartes
ratooaalss whlch seess locosaatbae wlth the worad
Empiricism:
Strengths Weaknesses
More liberal account of ‘k’ (we can ‘k’ more Sceptcism (Descartes)
bc empirical ‘k’ is ‘k’)
Rejecton of innateness Kant: empiricism alone cannot create
structure (need the mind)
Simpler theory than innateism (Aristotle Problem of Inducton (due to Maters of
critque of Plato) Fact)
Hume’s colour-blue counter-example (from
his Copy Principle)
The success of esalrlclss ls alslted because of the weakoesses that derlve fros Huse’s esalrlclss
Hume:
Copy Principle all ‘k’ has to have a corresponding impression so we doubt the self, the
external world and the concept of cause+efect
Colour Blue Counterexample undermines noton that ‘k’ comes from xp undermines the
Copy Principle
Fork MoF + RoI
MoF founded on C + E Problem of inducton to defend it you argue inductvely so MoF
not a reliable source of ‘k’
The Role of Philosophical Doubt:
Descartes:
3 Sceptcal Arguments:
Sceptcism:
Why Philosophers have raised doubts about the success of
both R + E in Understanding the World:
Ratonalism:
Descartes (illustrated under following heading)
Strengths Weaknesses
Certainty – we can ‘k’ the Cogito Limits how much we can ‘k’ as we cannot ‘k’
anything from xp
Hume
Problem of Language
Success of ratooaalss ls alslted because of the alslted koowaedge we cao have uoder Descartes
ratooaalss whlch seess locosaatbae wlth the worad
Empiricism:
Strengths Weaknesses
More liberal account of ‘k’ (we can ‘k’ more Sceptcism (Descartes)
bc empirical ‘k’ is ‘k’)
Rejecton of innateness Kant: empiricism alone cannot create
structure (need the mind)
Simpler theory than innateism (Aristotle Problem of Inducton (due to Maters of
critque of Plato) Fact)
Hume’s colour-blue counter-example (from
his Copy Principle)
The success of esalrlclss ls alslted because of the weakoesses that derlve fros Huse’s esalrlclss
Hume:
Copy Principle all ‘k’ has to have a corresponding impression so we doubt the self, the
external world and the concept of cause+efect
Colour Blue Counterexample undermines noton that ‘k’ comes from xp undermines the
Copy Principle
Fork MoF + RoI
MoF founded on C + E Problem of inducton to defend it you argue inductvely so MoF
not a reliable source of ‘k’
The Role of Philosophical Doubt:
Descartes:
3 Sceptcal Arguments:
