We are all mistaken sometimes; who is to say we are not mistaken all of the time? By pressing this question, philosophers known as `sceptics' call into question a vital ability we ordinarily take for granted-the ability to distinguish appearance from reality. Sceptics are an eclectic group, but they all confront us with the prospect that our beliefs about the nature of reality might be mistaken in deep and pervasive ways. Scepticism originated in ancient Greece, was then revived during the Renaissance, and has arguably been with us in some form ever since. We will study some of the most influential sceptical writings with an eye to the following questions: How do sceptical challenges bear on our ability to sustain political convictions and meaningful human relationships? How did the arguments of the ancient Greek sceptics change when they resurfaced in modern Europe? How have philosophers responded to the sceptics? Are certain sorts of social or intellectual conditions conducive to scepticism? What role does scepticism play in the political and popular culture today? We will read a number of authors from antiquity to the present including some or all of the following: Plato, Sextus Empiricus, Martin Luther King Jr., Cervantes, Descartes, Montaigne, Hume, Iris Murdoch, G.E. Moore, Thomas Nagel. Format: lecture/discussion. Requirements: several short assignments, midterm, final paper, participation. No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 30 (expected: 10-20). Preference given to sophomores and first-year students.

Hour: CLARKE