Philosophy from a Skeptical Perspective

By: Joseph Agassi, Abraham Meidan

Write A Review

Paperback | 2 June 2008

At a Glance

Paperback
190 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
22.86 x 15.24 x 1.04

Paperback

RRP $49.95

$48.75

or 4 interest-free payments of $12.19 with

or

Ships in 5 to 7 business days

One of the questions that philosophers discuss is: How can we avoid, or at least reduce, errors when explaining the world?

The skeptical answer to this question is: We cannot avoid errors since no statement is certain or even definitely plausible, but we can eliminate some past errors.

This book advocates the skeptical position and discusses its practical applications in science, ethics, aesthetics, and politics. It brings philosophy down to earth and comprises an outline of a sceptical guide to the real world.

About the Authors

Joseph Agassi is professor emeritus at Tel-Aviv University and York University, Toronto. He is the author of more than 400 contributions, including more than twenty books, on a variety of topics in philosophy.

Abraham Meidan is an independent scholar of philosophy. He is the chief executive officer of WizSoft, a data-mining software company; Chairman of the Board of Afeka Engineering College in Tel Aviv; and Chairman of the Targetech Innovation Center.

Shipping

	Standard Shipping	Express Shipping
Metro postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Regional postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Rural postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95

Orders over $89.00 qualify for free shipping.

How to return your order

At Booktopia, we offer hassle-free returns in accordance with our returns policy. If you wish to return an item, please get in touch with Booktopia Customer Care.

Additional postage charges may be applicable.

Defective items

If there is a problem with any of the items received for your order then the Booktopia Customer Care team is ready to assist you.

For more info please visit our Help Centre.

More in Philosophy & Logic

Light on Yoga

The Definitive Guide to Yoga Practice [Thorsons Classics Edition]

Paperback

RRP $27.99

$23.75

15%
OFF

Logic and Fixed-Domain Reasoning : Volume 2: Solutions to Selected Exercises - Ralph Gregory Taylor

$28.75

18%
OFF

Critical Thinking : The Basics - Stuart Hanscomb

$37.99

Conjectures and Refutations : The Growth of Scientific Knowledge

The Growth of Scientific Knowledge

Paperback

RRP $34.99

$29.75

15%
OFF

How Not to Be Wrong : The Power of Mathematical Thinking - Jordan Ellenberg

$22.99

15%
OFF

The Stoic Habit

How to Own Your Choices-Even When It's Difficult

Hardcover

RRP $34.99

$17.50

50%
OFF

Critical Thinking Skills For Dummies

For Dummies

Paperback

RRP $32.95

$26.99

18%
OFF

Philosophy of Language : A Contemporary Introduction - William G. Lycan

$58.75

Analogy and Exemplary Reasoning in Legal Discourse

Paperback

RRP $96.99

$86.99

10%
OFF

$151.75

11%
OFF

Logic-Based Therapy and Consultation

Theory and Applications

Paperback

RRP $59.99

$58.75

Aristotle's Organon in Old and New Logic

1800-1950

Paperback

RRP $59.99

$58.75

How to Win an Argument

An Ancient Guide to the Art of Persuasion

Hardcover

RRP $29.99

$26.75

11%
OFF

Unpopular Essays : Routledge Classics - Bertrand Russell

$134.75

10%
OFF

Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence

From Turing to Large Language Models

Paperback

RRP $83.99

$77.75

Preface	p. vii
Acknowledgments	p. xv
Introduction	p. 1
The Practical Side of Philosophy	p. 5
The History of Epistemology	p. 7
Error Avoidance and the Foundations of Knowledge	p. 10
A Word about Metaphysics	p. 21
Skepticism	p. 24
The Strange Story of the Idea of Error Avoidance	p. 24
Radical Skepticism	p. 32
The Case of Mathematics and Logic	p. 42
The Skeptical Arguments	p. 45
Skepticism in Epistemology	p. 54
Practical Implications	p. 57
Science	p. 60
The Critique of Empiricism	p. 63
The Probability Theory of Rational Beliefs	p. 65
The Minimum Unexpectedness Hypothesis on Beliefs	p. 69
More on the Paradoxes of Empiricism	p. 76
Theories Adjusted Ad Hoc	p. 76
Simplicity and Occam's Razor	p. 78
Predictions and Explanations	p. 80
Tradition	p. 81
Applications	p. 83
Ethics	p. 86
Skepticism in Ethics	p. 86
Toward a Psychological Theory of Moral Judgments	p. 90
Maximizing the Welfare of Humanity	p. 93
Liberalism as the Default Option	p. 99
Utilitarian versus Kantian Ethics	p. 102
Sympathy	p. 107
Moral Disputes	p. 108
More Against Reductionism in Ethics	p. 110
Politics	p. 112
The Justification of Sovereignty	p. 112
Toward a Psychological Theory of the Morality of Politics	p. 114
The Fear of Social Disorders	p. 118
Political Disputes	p. 119
The Dissolution of the Nation-State	p. 121
Democracy versus Dictatorship	p. 122
Aesthetics	p. 126
Skepticism in Aesthetics	p. 126
Aesthetics and Beauty	p. 129
Toward a Psychological Theory of Beauty	p. 130
The Evolution of Art	p. 133
Non-Beautiful Art	p. 134
Beauty and Pleasure	p. 134
Tragedy	p. 136
Repetitions (1)	p. 136
Repetitions (2)	p. 137
Pretty Average Faces	p. 139
Humor	p. 140
Non-Reductionism and Non-Relativism	p. 141
Aesthetic Disputes	p. 143
Conclusion	p. 145
The Next Step	p. 145
Psychology	p. 146
The Meaning of Life	p. 147
Glossary	p. 151
Further Reading	p. 155
Bibliography	p. 157
Index	p. 159
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

Philosophy from a Skeptical Perspective

At a Glance

Paperback

Shipping

How to return your order

Defective items

You Can Find This Book In

Other Editions and Formats

Hardcover

More in Philosophy & Logic

Light on Yoga

The Definitive Guide to Yoga Practice [Thorsons Classics Edition]

Logic and Fixed-Domain Reasoning

Volume 2: Solutions to Selected Exercises

The Laws of Thought

The Quest for a Mathematical Theory of the Mind

Critical Thinking

The Basics

Bloomsbury Study Skills

Effective Analysis, Argument and Reflection

Conjectures and Refutations : The Growth of Scientific Knowledge

The Growth of Scientific Knowledge

How Not to Be Wrong

The Power of Mathematical Thinking

Rationality

What It Is, Why It Seems Scarce, Why It Matters

The Stoic Habit

How to Own Your Choices-Even When It's Difficult

Critical Thinking Skills For Dummies

For Dummies

Philosophy of Language

A Contemporary Introduction

Philosophy of Language

A Contemporary Introduction

Metaphysics of Nature and Failure in Kant's Opus postumum

Analogy and Exemplary Reasoning in Legal Discourse

Logic

Deleuze's Philosophy of Time and Logic

Kant, Bergson, and the Labyrinth of the Continuum

Logic-Based Therapy and Consultation

Theory and Applications

Aristotle's Organon in Old and New Logic

1800-1950

How to Win an Argument

An Ancient Guide to the Art of Persuasion

Unpopular Essays

Routledge Classics

Interdisciplinarity and the Art of Human Connection

Knowing in a Complex World

Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence

From Turing to Large Language Models

Phenomenology Between Philosophy of Mathematics and the History of Philosophy

Essays in Honor of Burt C. Hopkins

Definition and Essence from Aristotle to Kant

This product is categorised by