On the Possibility of Knowledge: Skeptical Arguments and Baconian Idols

Research on Scepticism in Brazilian Philosophy

“…I always focusing not only on skeptics, like Montaigne and Bayle but also on dogmatists like Descartes and Kant. I published many papers [Smith 2008;2011a;2011b;2011c;2013a;2013b;2017;2021] and books [Smith 2000; on this topic. But I didn't want to be only a scholar on the history of philosophy, and I decided to study contemporary philosophy, especially Wittgenstein's On Certainty, analytic epistemology (Moore, Austin, Quine, Davidson, McDowell, etc.…”

“…My objections fell to the ground, and I began to consider myself a neo-Pyrrhonist. Still, perhaps not quite the Porchatian form of neo-Pyrrhonism, for my own neo-Pyrrhonism depends on my own interpretation and development of his neo-Pyrrhonism [Smith 2020].…”

“…This constructive side of neo-Pyrrhonism is not a theory but is still practical. I came to the conclusion that skepticism is, above all, an intellectual experience, and even in its "theoretical" aspect, i.e., the pursuit of philosophical truth, it is still "practical", namely, it is the activity to investigate, and this investigative activity has an impact on the philosopher [Smith 2020].…”