Philosophy 417: Skepticism and Faith
Texts:
The Course: The skeptic, as a character in contemporary philosophical literature, is a rather perverse creature who doubts for the sake of doubting. In fact, the term is often applied to anyone who doubts, and it has long been assumed that extreme skepticism would be impossible, freezing us into doubt-ridden immobility. This characterization, however, reflects ancient skepticism in only the most superficial way. It turns out that skepticism, as conceived by its original practitioners, was an entirely reasonable way to approach life, especially in its most extreme form. Moreover, the assessment of the possibility of knowledge implied by the pyrrhonian skeptics foreshadows in important ways central aspects of contemporary philosophical debate.
This course is concerned to trace the history of skepticism in its modern form, and to assess its impact on contemporary thought about the nature of knowledge and the possibility of certainty. We will begin by focusing on the pyrrhonian skepticism of Sextus Empiricus, its rediscovery in western Europe in the sixteenth century and its impact on western intellectual development. We then turn to a close reading of Hume's An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, in order to understand why it is that, despite the "refutation" of skepticism by Descartes, the substantive skeptical legacy is still with us.
Finally, we turn to religion. In Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion Hume argues that naturalistic proofs for the existence of God work no better than a priori proofs, so that religious beliefs can be based neither on Reason nor on Experience, but on Faith alone. Kierkegaard's Fear and Trembling gives us a memorable picture of what that might be like. Placing the issue of religious skepticism in the context of skepticism about knowledge in general makes it clear that the need for faith is not a peculiar requirement of religion. Contrary to common opinion, even science requires a substantial element of faith. Commitment in the face of uncertainty is part of the human condition.
Course Requirements: The principal instrument will be a 15 page term paper, worth 50% of your grade. At least one rough draft will be required. In addition, there will be a number of short ad hoc writing assignments, designed (1) to force you to engage with the readings and (2) to allow you to get a sense of my expectations regarding writing. These will be collectively worth 40%, and the remaining 10% will go for attendance and participation.