Scientific skepticism

In the philosophical skepticism according to philosophers such as Plato, Rene Descartes, and David Hume they differentiate in their different skepticisms. Skepticism is doubting one-self knowledge while also trying to justify their own beliefs and reasons. Based on “The Apology: Defense of Socrates”, Socrates makes is at the trial in which he is charged with not recognizing the gods and inventing new forms of his own beliefs and questioning everyone to find the truth. As for Rene Descartes…

Descartes, Plato, and The Matrix: A Comparison The Matrix, The Republic, and Meditations on First Philosophy all provide some valuable food for thought on the issues of reality and what we think we know to be true. Through their similarities and differences, we can explore some interesting perspectives on the age-old questions of “what can we know for sure if anything?” and “how do we know what we know?” As they have been, these questions will likely continue to be debated and explored for…

toward a particular object” (“Skepticism”). Skepticism is a strong theme throughout the philosophical works of both René Descartes and David Hume. In Descartes’s Discourse on Method he bases all of his philosophical reasoning on the principle of doubting all prior accepted knowledge and questioning everything. In Hume’s An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, Hume raises his doubts about Descartes’s ideas about skepticism, stating his belief that moderate skepticism is more productive than…

René Descartes’ dream argument supports his overarching argument for hyperbolic doubt, described in his Meditations on First Philosophy. The dream argument questions one’s perceptions, conscious and unconscious, and how one determines what is true and what is false. He does this by comparing experiences while awake or dreaming. Descartes continues on that since one also cannot tell the difference between what is a dream and what is real life, our perceptions could overall be false, and “assumes…

Ashley Broom Dr. Ellis English 391 1 March 2016 Sacred Sarcasm and Skepticism: Emily Dickinson’s Disbelief of Heaven Throughout her life, Emily Dickinson struggled with believing in the existence of Heaven, and wrote many poems on doubt and skepticism of an afterlife. She grew up in a religious bubble where people were constantly telling her how they experienced their faith, and the feelings they had that were associated with things like prayer and death. A good portion of Dickinson’s poetry…

Pro-Life vs. Pro-Choice In many arguments, there are quite a few different viewpoints and how strongly one feels about a certain topic. The cliché’ of never discussing religion or politics are prime examples of strong viewpoints where it is difficult if not impossible to change someone’s belief or opinion. Sometimes it is better to “agree to disagree” then to get upset or lose a friend over an argument. A major issue that has been an ongoing debate on wrong or right is the topic of pro-choice…

Everyday life requires facing many obstacles that get in ones way of achieving their own goals. Everyone has their own unique problems that they have to overcome, which involves them putting in some work. Challenges are an important part of trying to achieve a goal; they help out on whether it is worth going for that goal or not. Overcoming obstacles such as fear, doubt from others or even self-doubting is an important part of being able to achieve a goal. The individual has to have a positive…

Descartes went on to mention the three hypothesis that he feels are ways to doubt his beliefs in the first meditation but as he goes on to the second meditation, he comes up with a belief that cannot be doubted. As he concluded his first meditation, he came up with his strongest hypothesis and that dealt with evil demons deceiving him but with this new belief that cannot be doubted, he feels that he must exist to even be led on towards deception from that evil figure. Because he was doubting his…

power. I will begin by outlining two arguments presented by Montaigne, and then expand upon them to better explain their meaning and significance. The first argument I will discuss is the seventh argument presented by Montaigne in his work on skepticism, and proceeds as follows; “To judge appearances that we receive from subjects, we would need a judicatory instrument; to verify that instrument, we would need demonstration; to verify the demonstration, an instrument; here we are going round…

Just by embracing one philosophical teaching it could change and better your life. In the second half of the book, Philosophy For Life And Other Dangerous Situations by Jules Evans, Heraclitus, the Skeptics, Diogenes, Plato, Aristotle, and Socrates are all discussed. Each one of them provides a different philosophical teaching. Heraclitus taught us about the cosmic perspective, the Skeptics taught us to have our own opinion, Diogenes taught us to live simply, Plato taught us justice, Aristotle…