Scepticism and Induction: Challenge the Limits of Knowledge

Question 1

According to David Hume, what is the primary basis for our belief in the uniformity of nature?

Accepted Answer

Habit and familiarity

Answer

Logical necessity

Answer

Divine revelation

Answer

Empirical observation

Question 2

What is a primary distinction between deductive and inductive arguments?

Accepted Answer

Deductive arguments are always valid, while inductive arguments can be invalid.

Answer

Inductive arguments provide conclusive evidence, while deductive arguments do not.

Answer

Deductive arguments are based on abstract principles, while inductive arguments are based on concrete observations.

Answer

Inductive arguments are more reliable than deductive arguments.

Question 3

Which of the following arguments is central to Descartes' attempt to counter scepticism?

Accepted Answer

The cogito ergo sum argument

Answer

The ontological argument

Answer

The argument from design

Answer

The transcendental argument

Question 4

What is the main conclusion of Bertrand Russell's theory of descriptions?

Accepted Answer

Descriptive phrases can be used to refer to objects.

Answer

Proper names do not refer to anything.

Answer

Singular existential statements are always true.

Answer

The world is composed solely of facts.

Question 5

Which of the following is a key characteristic of scientific scepticism?

Accepted Answer

A willingness to critically examine all beliefs

Answer

An unyielding adherence to traditional beliefs

Answer

A reliance on intuition and personal experience

Answer

A belief that all knowledge is provisional

Question 6

How are a priori and a posteriori knowledge primarily distinguished?

Accepted Answer

A priori knowledge is necessarily true, while a posteriori knowledge is contingent.

Answer

A priori knowledge is acquired through experience, while a posteriori knowledge is independent of experience.

Answer

A priori knowledge is about the world, while a posteriori knowledge is about language.

Answer

A priori knowledge is subjective, while a posteriori knowledge is objective.

Question 7

Which philosopher is known for their support of internalist theories of justification?

Accepted Answer

Alvin Goldman

Answer

Edmund Gettier

Answer

W.V.O. Quine

Answer

Karl Popper

Question 8

Which of the following is NOT a viable approach to address sceptical arguments?

Accepted Answer

Relying solely on intuition and personal beliefs

Answer

Adopting a dogmatic stance

Answer

Examining the logical structure of the arguments

Answer

Proposing alternative frameworks for knowledge acquisition

Question 9

Which of the following is a key advantage of inductive reasoning?

Accepted Answer

It allows us to make predictions based on observed patterns

Answer

It provides absolute certainty about the future

Answer

It can be used to prove universal truths with certainty

Answer

It is immune to biases and errors

Question 10

Karl Popper's 'falsifiability' criterion suggests that a scientific theory:

Accepted Answer

Must be able to be disproven through empirical evidence

Answer

Must be capable of being proven logically

Answer

Must have a high degree of predictive accuracy

Answer

Must be universally accepted by the scientific community

Question 11

Which of the following is a pragmatic response to the problem of induction?

Accepted Answer

Recognising the limitations of induction and using it cautiously

Answer

Adopting a sceptical attitude towards all knowledge claims

Answer

Rejecting the use of inductive reasoning in decision-making

Answer

Attempting to prove universal truths deductively

Question 12

Which philosopher argued that knowledge is primarily shaped by social interactions and cultural contexts?

Accepted Answer

Richard Rorty

Answer

John Locke

Answer

Immanuel Kant

Answer

David Hume

Question 13

Which of these arguments is central to René Descartes' sceptical method?

Accepted Answer

Our senses can mislead us.

Answer

Reasoning alone leads to knowledge.

Answer

Scepticism is the surest path to certainty.

Answer

Knowledge is impossible to acquire.

Question 14

What is the primary purpose of scepticism in the study of knowledge?

Accepted Answer

To question the foundations and limitations of knowledge.

Answer

To offer definitive answers to questions about knowledge.

Answer

To demonstrate the futility of seeking knowledge.

Answer

To have no meaningful impact on the field of epistemology.

Question 15

A key argument of skeptical philosophy is the assertion that:

Accepted Answer

Knowledge is inherently fallible and open to doubt.

Answer

Reason alone can lead us to absolute truth.

Answer

All knowledge is derived from sense experience.

Answer

Inductive reasoning is a valid form of argument.

Question 16

Who is widely considered the founder of modern skepticism?

Accepted Answer

Pyrrho of Elis

Answer

René Descartes

Answer

David Hume

Answer

Immanuel Kant

Question 17

The core issue at the heart of the problem of induction is:

Accepted Answer

The reliance on past experience to make generalizations about the future

Answer

The impossibility of deductive reasoning

Answer

The circular reasoning involved in justifying inductive arguments based on experience

Answer

The fallibility of human observation

Question 18

The main conclusion of Hume's skeptical argument against induction is that:

Accepted Answer

All inductive reasoning is invalid.

Answer

Inductive reasoning is always reliable.

Answer

Experience alone can provide us with justified true beliefs.

Answer

Skepticism is the only rational position to hold.

Question 19

A common response to the skeptical argument that we cannot know anything for certain is:

Accepted Answer

We can have justified true beliefs even without certainty.

Answer

Skepticism is a valuable tool for questioning our beliefs.

Answer

We should adopt a dogmatic approach to knowledge.

Answer

We should give up on all attempts at knowing anything.

Question 20

The significance of skepticism in the pursuit of philosophical inquiry is that it:

Accepted Answer

Forces us to critically examine our assumptions and beliefs.

Answer

Provides us with absolute certainty about the nature of reality.

Answer

Undermines the possibility of all knowledge.

Answer

Has no relevance to philosophical inquiry.

Question 21

According to the problem of induction, which statement accurately reflects its essence?

Accepted Answer

Inductive arguments, while valid, only yield probable conclusions, not absolute certainty.

Answer

Inductive arguments inherently lack validity, rendering them unreliable.

Answer

Inductive arguments are superior to deductive arguments in terms of reliability.

Answer

Inductive arguments require immense sample sizes to be considered valid.

Question 22

Which philosopher is closely associated with the development of modern empiricism?

Accepted Answer

John Locke

Answer

René Descartes

Answer

Immanuel Kant

Answer

Ludwig Wittgenstein

Question 23

Identify the distinctive characteristic of rationalist philosophy:

Accepted Answer

Emphasis on the primacy of reason and logic in acquiring knowledge

Answer

Denial of the existence of the external world

Answer

Rejection of the concept of free will

Answer

Emphasis on the importance of subjective experiences

Question 24

Which contemporary response addresses the problem of induction?

Accepted Answer

Bayesian epistemology

Answer

Infinitism

Answer

Conventionalism

Answer

Logical positivism

Question 25

Based on the unit on scepticism and the problem of induction, which conclusion can be drawn?

Accepted Answer

Scepticism presents a valid philosophical perspective.

Answer

Knowledge is impossible to attain.

Answer

Inductive reasoning is always unreliable.

Answer

The problem of induction admits a definitive solution.

Question 26

Identify the core tenet of skepticism:

Accepted Answer

Sensory input is unreliable for acquiring knowledge.

Answer

Knowledge is unwavering and infallible.

Answer

Reasoning alone can lead to absolute knowledge.

Answer

Experience serves as the sole foundation for knowledge.

Question 27

Which skeptical argument commonly challenges induction?

Accepted Answer

Past experiences do not necessarily reflect future outcomes.

Answer

Inductive reasoning is always valid.

Answer

The future is inherently unpredictable.

Answer

Inductive arguments rely on flawed reasoning.

Question 28

Which criticism effectively challenges the skeptical argument against induction?

Accepted Answer

The skeptical argument neglects the role of probability in inductive reasoning.

Answer

The skeptical argument is overly simplistic.

Answer

The skeptical argument presumes all knowledge is inductive in nature.

Answer

The skeptical argument contradicts itself.

Question 29

What philosophical problem centers around the question of whether the external world exists independently of our minds?

Accepted Answer

The problem of the external world

Answer

The problem of other minds

Answer

The problem of free will

Answer

The problem of evil

Question 30

Describe the 'principle of credulity':

Accepted Answer

The assumption that beliefs are true until proven false.

Answer

The assumption that no beliefs can be justified.

Answer

The assumption that only rationally justified beliefs are true.

Answer

The assumption that all beliefs are equally likely to be true or false.

Question 31

Which of the following was a key argument of the sceptic Pyrrho?

Accepted Answer

We can never truly know anything for certain.

Answer

All knowledge is absolutely certain.

Answer

The senses are a completely reliable source of knowledge.

Answer

Reason is the only valid way to acquire knowledge.

Question 32

How did Descartes' method of doubt attempt to address the problem of scepticism?

Accepted Answer

By starting with a set of beliefs that could not be doubted.

Answer

By using reason to prove the existence of God.

Answer

By relying solely on sense experience.

Answer

By accepting all beliefs as true.

Question 33

Which philosopher argued that we can never know anything about the external world because our senses deceive us?

Accepted Answer

George Berkeley

Answer

David Hume

Answer

Immanuel Kant

Answer

René Descartes

Question 34

What is the central idea behind the 'veil of perception'?

Accepted Answer

We can only experience the world through our own perceptions.

Answer

Our perceptions are completely accurate representations of reality.

Answer

The world exists independently of our minds.

Answer

We can never truly know the nature of reality.

Question 35

How does pragmatism attempt to deal with the problem of scepticism?

Accepted Answer

By focusing on the practical consequences of beliefs.

Answer

By arguing that truth is socially constructed.

Answer

By adopting a sceptical stance towards all beliefs.

Answer

By seeking certainty through logical proof.

Question 36

Which of the following is a key concept in the philosophy of Karl Popper?

Accepted Answer

Falsifiability

Answer

Verification

Answer

A priori knowledge

Answer

Transcendental idealism

Question 37

What is the primary difference between a sceptical argument and a dogmatic argument?

Accepted Answer

Sceptical arguments question the possibility of knowledge, while dogmatic arguments assert it.

Answer

Sceptical arguments rely on reason, while dogmatic arguments rely on faith.

Answer

Sceptical arguments are always valid, while dogmatic arguments are not.

Answer

There is no difference between sceptical and dogmatic arguments.

Question 38

According to David Hume, the problem of induction arises because:

Accepted Answer

We rely on past experience to make assumptions about the future, but there is no guarantee that the future will be like the past.

Answer

Sense experience is unreliable and therefore cannot be used to establish the truth of general propositions.

Answer

Reason is incapable of providing us with certain knowledge about the world.

Answer

The categories of our understanding, such as causality, are imposed on the world by our minds and do not necessarily reflect reality.

Question 39

Which philosopher asserted that we can have direct, non-sensory knowledge of the external world?

Accepted Answer

René Descartes

Answer

David Hume

Answer

Immanuel Kant

Answer

G.E. Moore