Introduction to Philosophy — Season 1, Episode 5: On Skepticism
Documentary, Talk • 63 min • 1 season, 1 episodes
Episode synopsis
In lecture five, we encounter the philosophical tradition of skepticism, examining arguments that challenge our ability to know anything or have reasonable beliefs, from ancient Greek and Chinese philosophers to modern thinkers. We analyze five main skeptical arguments—illusion, comparison, variability, the problem of the criterion, and logical paradoxes about truth and knowledge. Our discussion concludes by considering the skeptical recommendation to suspend judgment for peace of mind, while noting the fascinating self-referential problem that skeptics cannot assert even their own conclusions without contradicting their position.
About Introduction to Philosophy
In Introduction to Philosophy, a nine-hour course, Dr. Bonevac guides us through the major traditions of Western philosophy in eight engaging lectures on ethics, metaphysics, and epistemology. We explore three key ethical frameworks—virtue ethics, deontology, and consequentialism—before tackling fundamental questions about reality, from realism to idealism. The course then examines theories of knowledge, weighing skepticism’s doubt, rationalism’s innate ideas, and empiricism’s reliance on experience. Finally, we consider how these philosophical traditions continue to shape debates about morality, reality, and human understanding today.