PHL105Y5 Lecture : Vogel Notes

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Descartes notes that none of our beliefs can be true, since there are always reasons to doubt. However, in every day life, we apply the common-sense view and inference to best explanation. To answer this question, we apply 4 principles: 1no ad hoc explanations. (no silly explanations that cannot be falsified. ) 3an explanation that explains more, all other things being equal, is better. We call our current common-sense explanation of the world the real world hypothesis (rwh) According to skeptical hypothesis, the world is filled with alternatives of beliefs that we have no reason to reject. But there is reason to reject many of them! Many alternative explanations are ad hoc, silly, complex, and far-fetched. The skeptic holds no power until he can find a satisfactory alternative, and not one that is burdened with ad hoc explanations.