Moore

Moore

1. Ambitions

   • to resist sceptical arguments
   • to show that our ordinary understanding of the world is correct
   • defence of realism
     • view that the world exists, independently of our knowledge of it
   • rejection of idealism
     • view that the world is mind-dependent
   • rejection of solipsism
     • view that I only know for certain that I exist

2. Truths of common sense

   • List 1
     • truths about material things
       • Denial of this truths is called idealism: we can only be sure of those claims that pertain to our subjective experiences
         • What do idealists do?
           • In expressing their views they make reference to objects, people
   • List 2
     • ideas and thoughts
   • Denial of 1 and 2 truths is scepticism; we can be sure of nothing
     • What do sceptics do?
       • They casually talk about things they deny the possibility of knowledge of

3. We normally understand all the truisms

   • It's only when we start doing philosophy, we start to question it
   • You can only begin to try to analyse a proposition once you know what it means
   • It is possible to know what a proposition means without knowing how you know what it means