Single Idea 6590

[catalogued under 13. Knowledge Criteria / D. Scepticism / 6. Scepticism Critique]

Full Idea

Sceptical scenarios deal in wildly remote defeating possibilities, so that the level of scrutiny becomes unrestrictedly high, and they also usually deal with defeators that are in principle ineliminable.

Gist of Idea

Scepticism deals in remote possibilities that are ineliminable and set the standard very high

Source

Robert Fogelin (Walking the Tightrope of Reason [2003], Ch.4)

Book Reference

Fogelin,Robert: 'Walking the Tightrope of Reason' [OUP 2004], p.104


A Reaction

The question of how high we 'set the bar' seems to me central to epistemology. There is clearly an element of social negotiation involved, centring on what is appropriate. If, though, scepticism is 'ineliminable', we must face up to that.