Introduction to Skepticism June 24, 2012

The Ancient Greek Skeptics aimed to cure dogmatists of the 'disease' of claiming to know things for which they had no proof, and of imposing their opinions on others. Skepticism is an appealing theory when it is used as a critique strategy against dogmatism; but is it a viable theory in its own right? In this course we will examine skepticism as it develops historically as a theory and also what it means to have a skeptical attitude. We will ask if there are benefits in developing a skeptical attitude. We will look at contemporary situations and consider how we ascertain the truth of our opinions in a media manipulated world and what are the implications of skepticism for morality, science and politics. Descartes, Hume, Nietzsche, Peirce, Hilary Putnam, are some of the philosophers in the course. Details of this event may be subject to change. Please visit http://www.cce.usyd.edu.au/course/skep for more information or to register.

Official Website: http://www.cce.usyd.edu.au/course/skep