Epistemological Skepticism

1
Epistemological Skepticism

• 1. Is massive error possible? Could we be
  deceived about almost everything that we think we
  know? Is the evil genius a possibility?
• 2. Is it possible to be certain of our own
  existence as thinking things, let alone anything
  else? Is Descartes right when he argues that we
  can be certain of this one thing?

2
Malcolm, Knowledge Regained

• Thesis In order for it to turn out to be
  possible that any statements about physical
  things should turn out to be false it is
  necessary that some statements about physical
  things cannot turn out to be false.

3
What does Malcolm mean?

• 1. We have to take some things for granted at
  this moment to even be in a position to speak at
  all or
• 2. We have to know that some particular
  statements about physical objects are true,
  namely those that we take to describe what we are
  immediately experiencing.

4
Does Malcolm defeat the Cartesian skeptic?

• NO
• Any one of our perceptual experiences could turn
  out to be false, and so we have reason to be
  uncertain about it.

5
Bouwsma, Descartes Evil Genius

• The paper illusion a thoroughly transparent
  case of deception
• This illusion is a failure because Tom is able to
  be certain of something, namely that other things
  are made of paper.
• The no physical objects illusion

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Thin and Thick Illusions

• Thin illusions -- images that can fool us but
  which we can eventually distinguish from reality.
• Thick illusions -- just like real things in every
  way that we can experience.

7
Bouwsmas point

• Thin illusions, like the paper illusion, are not
  deceptive enough for Descartes purposes
• Thick illusions are indistinguishable from
  reality, and hence not different from reality.