General_Epistemology__Luosuo_Version___1_

Knowledge & Inquiry Questions / ​ Parallels ​ / ​ Main Ideas Notes General Epistemology: Knowledge & its Nature, Construction & Validity Readings Used so udh to read stufs twice 1. The Matrix Possibility 2. The Analysis of Knowledge 3. Rationalism vs Empiricism Stanford 4. Perception and Knowledge 5. An Introduction to the Theory of Knowledge, Dan O' brien The Search for an Understanding of Knowledge Begins with... //Realism and Opposing Views //Skepticism Utility of Doubt // Meno’s Problem Philosophical Doubt ● Ordinary Doubt: Doubting the ​ Evidence ​ of some Propositions ● Philosophical Doubt: Doubting ​ every ​ Proposition that is Logically Possible to Doubt ○ Utility: Leads to the Search for ​ Evidence ​ and ​ Stronger Justification Confidence in Knowledge ● Exists on a Scale Philosophical Doubt Stems from Problems such as... State 4 Thought Experiments that rely on the Egocentric Predicament Explain the Problem raised by Hume’s Veil of Perception Explain the Problem raised by Agrippa’s Trilemma The Egocentric Predicament/Indiscernibility Arguments ● The problem of not being able to view reality outside of our own perceptions ● All worldly knowledge takes the form of ​ mental representations ​ that our

● //3 Theories of Justification/Truth mind examines in different ways. ● Examples ○ Plato’s Cave ○ The Matrix ○ Zhuangzi’s Butterfly Dream ○ Brain in a Vat ○ Descartes’ Evil Demon ● Response: Kant’s Noumena and Phenomena ○ Noumena: The objective world independent of human minds ○ Phenomena: What we can experience ○ If noumena and phenomena are completely distinct: No issue since the phenomena is all we can interact with anyway ■ Anything we perceive would fall into the realm of the phenomena ○ As indiscernibility arguments (e.g. Brain in the Vat, Descartes Evil Demon can take an infinite number of forms while the phenomena can only take one, the probability that we are in a pseudo-word is infinitely smaller compared to the probability that we are in the more consistent perceived world) Other Responses ● Fallibilism: Further Explained in “Certainty vs Fallibilism” Cogito Ergo Sum: I think therefore I am (Descartes Evil Demon) ● Certain ​ presupposition that one thinks in Doubting ● Refutation: The Cogito could have been demon-inspired ○ BUT: One would still be thinking in doubting the demon inspiration of the Cogito ○ Leads to an Infinite Regress ○ Mr Dio: This infinite regress allows one to always be able have to argue that “But you would have to be thinking to doubt that” ■ Personal Opinion ​ : However the Skeptic also always has the ability to argue that “The Demon might have inspired that”; by that same logic wouldn’t the Sceptic be equally right? ○ Class: The colour Red must still come from the Demon’s perception → Red exists somewhere in the Real World Hum