Dream Skepticism and the Conditionality Problem

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  • Kristoffer Ahlström
Recently, Ernest Sosa (2007) has proposed two novel solutions to the problem of dream skepticism. In the present paper, I argue that Sosa's first solution falls prey to what I will refer to as the conditionality problem, i.e., the problem of only establishing a conditional---in this case, "if x, then I am awake," x being a placeholder for a condition incompatible with dreaming---in a context where it also needs to be established that we can know that the antecedent holds, and as such can infer the consequent, i.e., "I am awake." Sosa's second solution in terms of so-called reflective knowledge, is shown to land him in the dilemma of either facing yet another conditionality problem, or violating an internalist constraint that he explicitly grants the skeptic with respect to what kind of factors can be legitimately invoked in our account of how we may know the relevant antecedent. For these reasons, I conclude that Sosa has not solved the problem of dream skepticism.
OriginalsprogEngelsk
TidsskriftErkenntnis: An International Journal of Scientific Philosophy
Vol/bind75
Udgave nummer1
Sider (fra-til)45-60
Antal sider16
ISSN0165-0106
StatusUdgivet - 2011

ID: 32955690