Uploaded March 2024 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
This video features an in-depth discussion led by a professional epistemologist, Dr. Kevin McCain, on the topic of skepticism, particularly external world skepticism initiated by Rene Descartes' idea of being deceived by an evil demon. The conversation delves into philosophical skepticism, its implications, and different responses to skepticism including reliabilism, sensitivity accounts, contextualism, the Moorean approach, hinge propositions, and inference to the best explanation, with a particular focus on demonstrating why the external world hypothesis is superior to skeptical alternatives like Descartes' Demon. The dialogue concludes by addressing four objections to the inference to the best explanation response.
00:00 Intro
00:55 What is Skepticism?
02:03 Why Should We Care About Skeptical Scenarios?
05:12 Explaining Descartes' Demon Thought Experiment
08:26 Seven Responses to Descartes' Demon
19:35 Inference to the Best Explanation Response
24:27 Addressing Four Objections to Inference to the Best Explanation
40:21 Concluding Thoughts and Further Resources
For Dr. McCain's book "Evidentialism & Epistemic Justification" click the link below.
routledge.com/Evidentialism-and-Epistemic-Justification/McCain/p/book/9781138657335
For Dr. McCain's book "Epistemology: 50 Puzzles, Paradoxes, and Thought Experiments" click the link below.
routledge.com/Epistemology-50-Puzzles-Paradoxes-and-Thought-Experiments/McCain/p/book/9780367638726
This video features an in-depth discussion led by a professional epistemologist, Dr. Kevin McCain, on the topic of skepticism, particularly external world skepticism initiated by Rene Descartes' idea of being deceived by an evil demon. The conversation delves into philosophical skepticism, its implications, and different responses to skepticism including reliabilism, sensitivity accounts, contextualism, the Moorean approach, hinge propositions, and inference to the best explanation, with a particular focus on demonstrating why the external world hypothesis is superior to skeptical alternatives like Descartes' Demon. The dialogue concludes by addressing four objections to the inference to the best explanation response.
00:00 Intro
00:55 What is Skepticism?
02:03 Why Should We Care About Skeptical Scenarios?
05:12 Explaining Descartes' Demon Thought Experiment
08:26 Seven Responses to Descartes' Demon
19:35 Inference to the Best Explanation Response
24:27 Addressing Four Objections to Inference to the Best Explanation
40:21 Concluding Thoughts and Further Resources
For Dr. McCain's book "Evidentialism & Epistemic Justification" click the link below.
routledge.com/Evidentialism-and-Epistemic-Justification/McCain/p/book/9781138657335
For Dr. McCain's book "Epistemology: 50 Puzzles, Paradoxes, and Thought Experiments" click the link below.
routledge.com/Epistemology-50-Puzzles-Paradoxes-and-Thought-Experiments/McCain/p/book/9780367638726
