The Story of Scepticism

In this discussion, speaker Grant Bartley will look at classical sceptical arguments from Parmenides and Zeno, through to Descartes and Hume, to see how much we really know, and how much doubt can be reasonably cast on what we always thought we knew, from many different angles. But he’ll also ask just how useful is scepticism, anyway?

Nowadays we use the possibility of doubt to argue against everything from free will to morality, the self, even the existence of our own minds. But is this a good way of arguing? Does it prove anything? Or is scepticism rather about showing the limits of our knowledge? Ultimately we want to be sceptical about scepticism itself, to try to see just how far it can get us.

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Grant Bartley has been an editor for Philosophy Now magazine for over 11 years. He was also the main host for the Philosophy Now Radio Show for about 35 shows on Resonance FM. He has published many articles in the magazine, as well as a philosophical manifesto and a book of short stories.

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Doors 10.30. Start 11.00

Entry £3, £2 concessions. (free to Conway Hall Ethical Society members)

Brockway Room (Ground floor – accessible. Induction loop audio).

Tea, coffee & biscuits will be available.