Massimo asked:

I'm doing a paper on skepticism, and I was wondering if you can give me a few examples and
consequences about this topic.

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"Skepticism" derives from the Greek word for "doubt," "Skepsis." The Skeptic is one who doubts. But,
doubts what? Here we should distinguish between "ordinary skepticism," and "philosophical
skepticism."

1. In ordinary language and circumstances, a skeptic will doubt that something exists or is true. For
instance, he will, if he is a (ordinary) "religious skeptic," doubt whether God exists ( and he may even
doubt thatGod exists.) Or, if he is a (ordinary) moral skeptic, he will doubt whether (or even that)
anything has any moral value (whatever he may mean by that.)

2. But a philosophical skepticdirects his doubts against knowledge. He will, unlikethe religious
skeptic I discussed above, say, "I ( and nobody) can knowwhether or not God exists." But this is
compatible (you should notice) with notbeing an ordinary religious skeptic: For the philosophical
religious skeptic (unlike the ordinary religious skeptic who doubts the existence of God) may,
consistent with his philosophical skepticism still believe in God!He says he (and nobody) knowsthere
is a God, but that doesn't prevent him from believingin God. (Of course, the philosophical skeptic
need not believe in God either.)

The great 18th century British philosopher, David Hume is, I believe, best understood as a
philosophical skeptic. He believed many things he thought it was impossible for anyone to know. For
instance, he believed (and thought no one could help believing) that there was an "external material
world" beyond our senses, but also held that it was impossible to know such a thing.

Ken Stern