Moore 's Refutation Of Skepticism And Its Contemporary Significance

The theme of this dissertation focuses on Moorean response to skepticism problems. Skepticism of Moore’s mainly concentrated in the dissertations of "Defense of Common Sense" and "Proof of the External World". This dissertation also attempts to demonstrate the contemporary theory of knowledge on the skeptical problem, and to understand Moorean response to skeptical problems. This thesis includes introduction, two parts of text and conclusion.The introduction of the dissertation mainly concerns the introduction of domestic and foreign research related and representative points of view as well as the significance of this dissertation.The first part explains the problem of skepticism and reviews the process and details of Moorean response to skepticism. It includes the history and types of these skeptical problems, its actual background, motivation of Moore’s refuting of skepticism and analysis of related text, according to which the dissertation put forward possible understanding from Moore. In the historical review of skepticism, this dissertation focuses on the general thinking of contemporary theory of knowledge of skepticism, namely "skeptical paradox".The second part reviews positive and negative evaluation of Moorean solution. This part reviews Wittgenstein’s criticism of Moore in On certainty and in what sense can people recognize the value of Moorean response to skeptical problem. These values are embodied in:confirmation of the legitimacy of ordinary proposition in the system of knowledge, a reasonable understanding of the concept of knowledge and a re-examination of skepticism.The third part puts Moorean response into the framework of skeptical paradox and introduces solutions of several other responses concerning skeptical paradox that relates to Moorean response. In discussing skepticism, these solutions all include Moore’s idea of common sense and his conclusion in rejecting skepticism and discuss the relation of the two and all regard Moore’s standpoint "I know I have hands" as true. This part also introduces the knowledge theory related to the skeptical problems and the tendency of the contemporary thinking of skeptical problem.The conclusion part reviews the originality of skeptical problem discussed, the reaction of Moore and Wittgenstein to this problem, and indicates that the externalism doctrine that empirical propositions justification is certainly possible is an important difference from thestandpoint of internalism.