Skepticism, Philosophical or Scientific? (Philosophy Matters)

On Zoom

Dictionaries often draw a distinction between the modern common meaning of skepticism and its traditional philosophical meaning, which dates from antiquity. The usual common dictionary definition is ‘a sceptical attitude; doubt as to the truth of something’; whereas the philosophical definition is ‘the theory that some or all types of knowledge are impossible’. These definitions are of course quite different and reflect the fact that the meanings of some philosophical terms have drifted over the millennia. The contemporary meaning of ‘scientific skepticism’ is different again, which Tim Harding will also discuss. He has a foot in both the scientific and philosophical ‘camps’. Although Tim will be speaking mainly about the less familiar philosophical skepticism, he personally supports scientific skepticism over philosophical skepticism for reasons he will explain. For details and to RSVP, please visit www.meetup.com/Philosophy-Matters/events/280705960/