重要的GRE话题：质疑精神(Skepticism)
<p> <span word="Skepticism">Skepticism</span></p><p> <span word="Skepticism">Skepticism</span> refers to the philosophic position holding that the possibility of knowledge is limited either because of the limitations of the mind or because of the inaccessibility of its object. It is more loosely used to denote any questioning attitude. Extreme skepticism holds that no knowledge is possible, but this is logically untenable since the statement contradicts itself. During the Renaissance the influence of ancient skepticism was reflected preeminently in the writings of the 16th-century French philosophical essayist Michel de Montaigne. The greatest exponent of modern skepticism was the 18th-century Scottish empiricist philosopher David Hume. In his Treatise of Human Nature and An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding , Hume questions the possibility of demonstrating the truth of beliefs about the external world, causal connections, future events, or such metaphysical entities as the soul and God.</p><p> <span word="The">The</span> 18<span word="th">th</span>-<span word="century">century</span> <span word="German">German</span> <span word="philosopher">philosopher</span> <span word="Immanuel">Immanuel</span> <span word="Kant">Kant</span>, <span word="while">while</span> <span word="attempting">attempting</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="overcome">overcome</span> <span word="Humes">Humes</span> <span word="skepticism">skepticism</span>, <span word="denied">denied</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="possibility">possibility</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="knowing">knowing</span> <span word="things">things</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="themselves">themselves</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="achieving">achieving</span> <span word="metaphysical">metaphysical</span> <span word="knowledge">knowledge</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="the">the</span> 19<span word="th">th</span> <span word="century">century</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="German">German</span> <span word="philosopher">philosopher</span> <span word="Friedrich">Friedrich</span> <span word="Nietzsche">Nietzsche</span> <span word="denied">denied</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="possibility">possibility</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="complete">complete</span> <span word="objectivity">objectivity</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="thus">thus</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="objective">objective</span> <span word="knowledge">knowledge</span>, <span word="in">in</span> <span word="any">any</span> <span word="field">field</span>. <span word="The">The</span> 20<span word="th">th</span>-<span word="century">century</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="philosopher">philosopher</span> <span word="George">George</span> <span word="Santayana">Santayana</span>, <span word="claiming">claiming</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="taken">taken</span> <span word="Humes">Humes</span> <span word="skepticism">skepticism</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="step">step</span> <span word="further">further</span>, <span word="maintained">maintained</span>, <span word="in">in</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="work">work</span> <span word="Scepticism">Scepticism</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="Animal">Animal</span> <span word="Faith">Faith</span> , <span word="that">that</span> <span word="belief">belief</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="existence">existence</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="anything">anything</span>, <span word="including">including</span> <span word="oneself">oneself</span>, <span word="rests">rests</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="natural">natural</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="irrational">irrational</span> <span word="impulse">impulse</span>. <span word="Elements">Elements</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="skepticism">skepticism</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="found">found</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="modern">modern</span> <span word="schools">schools</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="philosophy">philosophy</span>, <span word="including">including</span> <span word="pragmatism">pragmatism</span>, <span word="analytic">analytic</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="linguistic">linguistic</span> <span word="philosophy">philosophy</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="existentialism">existentialism</span>.</p>
页:
[1]