First Paper Topic
Philosophy 102
Fall, 2003
Length should be approximately 5-6 pages. Please use a line spacing of 3 lines per inch and a left margin of 1½ inches, 1 inch elsewhere. Point size may be no less than 10.* Please be sure the printing is clear and that the paper stock is of a type that does not make handwriting difficult. Papers will be evaluated on the basis of both content and quality of writing. You may cite the assigned readings in the text and the Web notes for this class.
Due: November 3, in class.
The ancient skeptics argued against the justification of a standard by which truth can be distinguished from falsehood. Your first task will be to give a clear account of the argument from Book II, Chapter iv of Outlines of Pyrrhonism. Then give a brief account of Descartes's standard. Finally, show how Foley criticizes the Cartesian project and argues that philosophy can give us no substantive standard for belief.