In Unnatural Doubts, Michael Williams constructs a masterly polemic against the very idea of epistemology, as traditionally conceived. Although philosophers have often found problems in efforts to study the nature and limits of human knowledge, Williams provides the first book that systematically argues against there being such a thing as knowledge of the external world. He maintains that knowledge of the world consitutes a theoretically coherent kind of knowledge, whose possibility needs to be defended, only given a deeply problematic doctrine he calls "epistemological realism." The only alternative to epistemological realism is a thoroughgoing contextualism.
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[Many readers] will find their thoughts on the topic deepened and challenged by Williams's powerful and penetrating inquiry. -- Marie McGinn, The Journal of Philosophy
Williams has a feeling for the larger intellectual significance of skepticism and for its phenomenology. He attacks the skeptic's citadel with boldness, determination, and strategic sense. . . . [H]is treatment of a large range of other writings on the subject . . . combines sympathy with acute criticisms. -- John Skorupski, Mind
Williams has a feeling for the larger intellectual significance of skepticism and for its phenomenology. He attacks the skeptic's citadel with boldness, determination, and strategic sense. . . . [H]is treatment of a large range of other writings on the subject . . . combines sympathy with acute criticisms. -- John Skorupski, Mind
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"Exceptionally well-argued. . . . Williams's Unnatural Doubts is a major contribution to epistemology--or, rather, to the discussion of the possibility of epistemology. It includes some excellent discussions of Nozick, Dretske, Davidson, and other important contemporary philosophers."--Richard Rorty
"Williams makes a good case for the view that skepticism as it is usually presented and defended is not a presuppositionless doctrine. He argues compellingly that if we examine its presuppositions, then quite often the case made for epistemological skepticism loses much of its persuasiveness. These points are well worth considering and discussing."--Ernest Sosa
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First Sentence:
My theme is scepticism. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
nonsemantical practice, natural epistemological relations, ordinary epistemic concepts, foundationalist preconceptions, epistemic disability, contentious theoretical ideas, formal foundationalism, natural epistemological kinds, theoretical diagnostician, distinctively philosophical project, traditional epistemological project, theoretical diagnosis, sceptic exploits, traditional epistemological inquiry, unusual generality, properly philosophical understanding, substantive foundationalism, known logical entailment, pure reliabilism, foundationalist standards, propositions that stand, sceptical hypotheses, global justification, familiar sceptical arguments, coherence theorist Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Doxastic Presumption, Alpha Centauri, New York, Evil Deceiver, Barry Stroud, Robert Nozick, Crispin Wright, Observation Requirement New!
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
My theme is scepticism. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
nonsemantical practice, natural epistemological relations, ordinary epistemic concepts, foundationalist preconceptions, epistemic disability, contentious theoretical ideas, formal foundationalism, natural epistemological kinds, theoretical diagnostician, distinctively philosophical project, traditional epistemological project, theoretical diagnosis, sceptic exploits, traditional epistemological inquiry, unusual generality, properly philosophical understanding, substantive foundationalism, known logical entailment, pure reliabilism, foundationalist standards, propositions that stand, sceptical hypotheses, global justification, familiar sceptical arguments, coherence theorist Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Doxastic Presumption, Alpha Centauri, New York, Evil Deceiver, Barry Stroud, Robert Nozick, Crispin Wright, Observation Requirement New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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This book cites 52
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- Ontological Relativity by W. V. Quine on 4 pages
- Science, Perception and Reality by Wilfrid Sellars in Back Matter (1), Back Matter (2), and Back Matter (3)
- On Certainty by Ludwig Wittgenstein on page 13, page 146, and Back Matter
- The View From Nowhere by Thomas Nagel in Front Matter, Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- Empirical Knowledge by Paul K. Moser in Back Matter (1), Back Matter (2), and Back Matter (3)
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- Putting Skeptics in their Place: The Nature of Skeptical Arguments and Their Role in Philosophical Inquiry (Cambridge Studies in Philosophy) by John Greco on 7 pages
- Rorty and His Critics (Philosophers and their Critics) by Robert B. Brandom on 6 pages
- Philosophical Issues, Skepticism (Philosophical Issues: A Supplement to Nous) (Volume 10) by Ernest Sosa on 5 pages
- Skepticism About the External World by Panayot Butchvarov on 4 pages
- Philosophy of Language and the Challenge to Scientific Realism (Routledge Studies in Critical Realism) by Christopher Norris on 4 pages
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