PHIL Talk: “Probabilistic Proof of an External World,” Nicholas Di Bella (Stanford University), H-232, 3:40PM February 15 (EN)

“Probabilistic Proof of an External World”

By Nicholas Di Bella (Stanford, Philosophy)

Date: Thursday 15th February, 2018
Time: 1540-1715
Place: H-232

Abstract:I provide a novel internal critique of skepticism about the external world. Appealing to premises that an external-world skeptic could accept, I argue that the skeptic should (by her own lights) be extraordinarily confident that an external world exists. These premises include commitments to various forms of a priori reasoning–including commitments to classical logic, set theory, and probabilistic reasoning–as well as radical empiricism about evidence. As I argue, these premises entail that the skeptic should, by her own lights, be at least 99.99999% confident–just shy of certain–that an external world exists.

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