New Books in Philosophy Eric Schwitzgebel, "The Weirdness of the World" (Princeton UP, 2024)
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Apr 10, 2024 Eric Schwitzgebel, a philosophy professor, delves into speculative topics on consciousness and the cosmos. He discusses the plausibility of multiple universes, the concept of living in a simulation, and the value of intellectual play in exploring complex ideas. Schwitzgebel challenges conventional theories and encourages playful consideration of philosophical mysteries.
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Common Sense in Science
- Scientific theories don't need to conform to common sense, as evidenced by relativity's twin paradox.
- However, for complex questions like consciousness or multiple universes, where empirical evidence is weak, common sense becomes a valuable tool among limited options.
Limits of Understanding
- We can't fully explain consciousness or multiple universes now or in the foreseeable future.
- However, science continually progresses, and what is currently beyond understanding may eventually become clear.
1% Skepticism
- Schwitzgebel identifies as a "1% skeptic," assigning a small but non-zero credence to radically skeptical scenarios.
- He argues for this using the dream argument, where dream experiences resemble waking ones, making absolute certainty about being awake difficult.