Can we know anything for certain? There are those who think we can (traditionally labeled the "dogmatists") and those who think we cannot (traditionally labeled the "skeptics"). The theory of knowledge, or epistemology, is the great debate between the two. This book is an introductory and historically-based survey of the debate. It sides for the most part with the skeptics. It also develops out of skepticism a third view, fallibilism or critical rationalism, which incorporates an uncompromising realism about perception, science, and the nature of truth.
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Editorial Reviews
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"The treatment of basic issues in epistemology is quite nicely done, and although the book is intended as an introduction, it is not confined to the coverage of elementary topics. Musgrave does devote a good deal of space to the discussion of such standard epistemological material as skepticism, but he also includes interesting, elegant, and informative summaries of problems and theories in logic, semantics, and the philosophy of mathematics. The book can be read profitably by anyone with an interest in epistemology and its history." Douglas M. Jesseph, Isis
Book Description
Can we know anything for certain? The theory of knowledge, or epistemology, encompasses the great debate between the "dogmatists" who think we can and the "skeptics" who think we cannot. This introductory survey develops from skepticism a third view--fallibilism or critical rationalism.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Compact and Comprehensible,
This review is from: Common Sense, Science and Scepticism: A Historical Introduction to the Theory of Knowledge (Paperback)
An excellent introduction for those coming to epistemology for the first time. The author avoids potentially confusing formulations of the issues and generally presents the various positions well.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Epistemology and critical rationalism,
By Jonas Vestlund (Arvika, Sweden) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Common Sense, Science and Scepticism: A Historical Introduction to the Theory of Knowledge (Paperback)
Alan Musgrave is a good writer and the book is both interesting for the expirienced and those new to philosophy. It should be noted though that the book is written by a follower of Karl Popper's critical rationalism and that it beacause of that sometimes differ in its conclusions from mainstream analytic philosophy, mostly in the last chapter. So it's a quite god introduction to epistemology and its history but also a brilliant introduction to critical rationalist epistemology.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
fantastic introduction,
By A Customer
This review is from: Common Sense, Science and Scepticism: A Historical Introduction to the Theory of Knowledge (Paperback)
Musgraves introduction to epistemology is great! the problems discussed are very well set out. Musgrave writes clearly and is easy to read.Plus, hes autographed my book!
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The problem which will concern us can be stated very simply, as can most important philosophical problems: Can we know anything? Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
withstood serious criticism, ideally rational inquirer, biggest prime number, hallucinate pink rats, bread nourished, singular predictive inference, justified true belief account, future resembled, evil genius hypothesis, pure geometer, reductio proof, sceptical objection, inductive validity, rationalist dream, infinite regress argument, sceptical worries, unobserved cases, conjectural knowledge, someone outside the door, sceptical critique, inductive generalisation, infallible criterion, apparent properties, academic scepticism, something bent Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Sextus Empiricus, Bertrand Russell, Helen Keller, Jack the Ripper, John Locke, Third Dialogue, Third Meditation, David Hume, Immanuel Kant, Philosopher King, Andrew Carnegie New!
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
The problem which will concern us can be stated very simply, as can most important philosophical problems: Can we know anything? Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
withstood serious criticism, ideally rational inquirer, biggest prime number, hallucinate pink rats, bread nourished, singular predictive inference, justified true belief account, future resembled, evil genius hypothesis, pure geometer, reductio proof, sceptical objection, inductive validity, rationalist dream, infinite regress argument, sceptical worries, unobserved cases, conjectural knowledge, someone outside the door, sceptical critique, inductive generalisation, infallible criterion, apparent properties, academic scepticism, something bent Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Sextus Empiricus, Bertrand Russell, Helen Keller, Jack the Ripper, John Locke, Third Dialogue, Third Meditation, David Hume, Immanuel Kant, Philosopher King, Andrew Carnegie New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 70
books:
See all 70 books this book cites
3
books
cite this book:
- An Essay Concerning Human Understanding (Great Books in Philosophy) by John Locke on page 61, page 81, and Back Matter
- Descartes: Discourse On Method by Laurence J. Lafleur on page 195, and page 197
- Rules for the Direction of the Mind by Rene Descartes on page 195, and page 197
- Dialogues Between Hylas And Philonous by George Berkeley on page 121, and Back Matter
- The Principles of Human Knowledge by George Berkeley on page 121, and Back Matter
See all 70 books this book cites
- Understanding Philosophy of Science by James Ladyman on page 160, and Back Matter
- Paradigms of Artificial Intelligence: A Methodological and Computational Analysis by Achim G. Hoffmann in Back Matter
- Understanding Philosophy of Science by James Ladyman on page 160
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