File spoon-archives/bhaskar.archive/bhaskar_1999/bhaskar.9901, message 55


From: "Tobin Nellhaus" <nellhaus-AT-gis.net>
Subject: Re: BHA: Skeptical about skepticism
Date: Sat, 23 Jan 1999 11:58:36 -0500


Hi Ruth--

Actually I agree with your points about skepticism that knowledge is
possible, and skepticism about being.  However, I think you slightly misread
what I said, because I was not equating the two (nor, I think, was Toulmin).
The issue perhaps revolves around the role of certainty.  Descartes accepts
only what we can assert as *absolutely* certain as true or real: hence his
"I think, therefore I am."  But *that* slogan is precisely the epistemic
fallacy, for it identifies existence with thought (knowledge).  For
Montaigne, knowledge is fallible, because reality extends well beyond the
sphere of our present knowledge; but we have knowledge of reality
nevertheless, just not absolutely certain knowledge.  So in fact, *neither*
type of skepticism denies the possibility of knowledge; but they use sharply
differing criteria.  The skepticism that claims no knowledge is possible
pushes Cartesianism even farther (and into a reductio ad absurdum, since
then one must say that we don't know for certain that knowledge is
impossible!).

Thanks, T.

---
Tobin Nellhaus
nellhaus-AT-gis.net
"Faith requires us to be materialists without flinching": C.S. Peirce




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