Dean Railton's Articles in General - Symposia: The Online Philosophy Journal

Dean Railton's Articles in General


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On the Impossibility of Real A Priori Knowledge In this paper I will be arguing that true a priori knowledge is only possible in a way such that any belief formed totally a priori will be merely trivially true. The Cogita, Covert Empiricist Descartes argument for existence is now incredibly famous, it claims, “Cogito ergo sum.” The usual English is, “I think, therefore I am.” Descartes uses the cogito argument as a deductive proof of his existence, a method to know that existence is indubitable and certain, and escape global scepticism. This is important as it not only enables knowledge of the self (one serious epistemological problem), but also allows certain knowledge (another serious epistemological problem). It is hardly surpri Was Socrates right to submit to his punishment? The Crito features a dialogue between Socrates and Crito, a dear friend, in which Crito attempts to persuade Socrates to escape from prison thus avoiding his imminent death. This is a fictional dialogue based on real events, and it therefore ends with Crito being persuaded by Socrates and Socrates dies from poisoning by hemlock (as records show to have actually happened). It is the case however that the arguments Crito offers for Socrates’ escape are weak “straw-man” arguments and Socrates commo