Faced with epistemological difficulties or limitations, some might posit that there are philosophical beliefs and everyday beliefs, and that one can always fall back on the latter if the former proves too difficult. That this division is a myth does not mean that no one derives a sense of security from it. Not only is such a distinction impossible, since philosophy encompasses everything about reality, but the only legitimate epistemological security comes from reason, not the everyday assumptions of the common person.
Since nothing is outside of philosophy (and nothing could be outside of it), there cannot be a divide between the philosophical and the everyday. Often, this idea is used to avoid the philosophical considerations that permeate basic existence as a human being. However, anyone who contemplates philosophy for even a brief amount of time should quickly realize that there is no avoiding what has no boundaries.
There is no distinction between "philosophical beliefs" and "everyday beliefs"; everyday practices hinge on philosophical truths. At the same time, many beliefs that people would generally consider the "everyday" sort are utterly unverifiable, meaning there is no justification for people holding those beliefs to begin with. For example, there is no justification for believing that other minds exist, since they cannot be proven to exist. Yet many assume this as they go about daily activities.
Epistemology is omnipresent in human experiences. In some way, it is at the core of every behavior, every thought, and every intention. There is nowhere that one can hide from it, and no amount of dislike or ignorance can make it vanish. The person who thinks they don't need or don't interact with epistemology is a fool. Someone might hate it, or fear it, but it is there, a thing that exists as long as there is even a single consciousness that perceives anything at all.
No comments:
Post a Comment