tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6642011.post8098603360286123626..comments2023-10-29T10:32:36.914-04:00Comments on Philosophy, et cetera: Radical Skepticism vs. Anything GoesRichard Y Chappellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16725218276285291235noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6642011.post-29291399409769802112007-05-22T07:35:00.000-04:002007-05-22T07:35:00.000-04:00It's the fate of every epistemological foundationa...It's the fate of every epistemological foundationalist to find vicious circularity under every rock. <BR/><BR/>eric is probably strictly speaking correct, but I don't think that wins him much, other than the nodding of fellow foundationalists who can't see the distinction between reasonable assumptions that cohere or fit with our other pre-existing beliefs about the world and assumptions that require a radical restructuring of those assumptions.tmhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07397983429766950558noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6642011.post-17651722796340598752007-05-21T18:42:00.000-04:002007-05-21T18:42:00.000-04:00"Granted, even atheists must make some assumptions..."Granted, even atheists must make some assumptions. But, again, some assumptions are more reasonable than others."<BR/><BR/>How do you determine which assumptions are reasonable without begging a host of questions? If we all must make assumptions, and if we grant that some assumptions are more reasonable than others, then doesn't it follow that we must further assume (or at least provide an argument which itself assumes) some criteria against which to evaluate what is most reasonable? (I'm of course supposing that we're not simply speaking about logic here, since given such and such assumptions, the logic of a position only requires consistency with respect to the development of those assumptions and the addition of any new information) And since we will be using these assumed critera to justify our assumptions, isn't the whole argument (that assumption x is more reasonable than assumption y) viciously crcular? I don't think this is true in all cases, but it seems to me to be the case with respect to the specific kinds of basic assumptions theists and atheists make about the world.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com