PHL105Y5 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Empirical Evidence, Cartesian Doubt, Omnipotence
Document Summary
Sense experience is always reliable; that is, things are just the way they appear to the senses. )f sense experience is always reliable, then an object always has those characteristics it appears to have. (cid:884)(cid:524) Sometimes an object does not have characteristics which it appears to have. Perceptions made under favourable conditions by a normal observer are. Therefore, (cid:886)(cid:524) )f it is possible for a dream to be coherent, complete, and systematic in every respect, then your veridical sensory experiences are indistinguishable from those (cid:523)(s, (cid:884) and (cid:885)(cid:524) that are non veridical. Therefore, (cid:887)(cid:524) your veridical sensory experiences are indistinguishable from those that are non veridical. *veridical = truthful, coinciding with reality (cid:523)mp, (cid:883) and (cid:886)(cid:524) Therefore, (cid:890)(cid:524) )f your veridical sensory experiences are indistinguishable from those that are non veridical, then you never know that any perceptual belief is true. (cid:523)(s, (cid:888) and (cid:889)(cid:524) Therefore, (cid:523)mp, (cid:883) and (cid:890)(cid:524) (cid:891)(cid:524) you never know that any perceptual belief is true.
