The Power and Value of Philosophical Skepticism

by Jeffrey P. Whitman

How should we react to philosophical skepticism? Whitman answers this question by examining analytic and post-analytic responses to the problem. He tests analytic theories of knowledge (foundationalism, coherentalism, and reliabilism) and the post-analytic responses of Donald Davidson and Richard Rorty against skeptical arguments. Whitman concludes that embracing a theoretical version of philosophical skepticism has advantages over post-analytic responses--both in the realm of philosophical inquiry and in everyday life.

118 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1996