Description
Book SynopsisTo know that something is the case, if closely considered, turns out to be no more than to believe with good evidence that something is the case, and beliefs, however well supported by evidence, do not yield certainty. So the question is, what kind of evidence is sufficient to justify a knowledge claim'? And most important of all: What kind of beliefs do qualify as rational? This challenging and refreshingly innovative book addresses certain fundamental questions concerning the rational legitimacy of some widely held beliefs, and provides argument-based answers to such questions, while at the same time encouraging the reader to actively engage with the views put forward and form his/her own judgment. The book is typically discursive rather than merely informative, and introduces philosophy by doing it.
Table of ContentsPrefatory Note Introduction 1. What Can We Know and What May We Rationally Believe? 2. What Are the Necessary and What Are the Sufficient Conditions of Rational Belief? 3. Can It Ever Be Truly Rational to Believe a Falsehood? 4. Does Natural Science Set a Norm for What Can Be Rationally Believed? 5. Is the Belief in Creation Ex Nihilo a Rationally Sustainable Belief? 6. What Rational Justification Might There Be for Acting Morally? 7. Is the Existence of Rational Beings Merely a Fortuitous By-Product of Natural Selection? Index
