Practicing scepticism

Hi Philosophers,

It's time to be sceptical! For our next philosophy discussion, we’ll be exploring philosophical scepticism — not as an extreme theory that claims we can’t know anything at all, but as a practice: a way of relating to our beliefs with humility, care, and responsibility.

Rather than asking “Is scepticism true?”, we’ll be asking a more grounded question:
What happens when we bring scepticism into the beliefs that actually shape our lives, identities, and actions?

Practicing Scepticism

“Our aim as scientists is objective truth; more truth, more interesting truth, more intelligible truth. We cannot reasonably aim at certainty. Once we realize that human knowledge is fallible, we realize also that we can never be completely certain that we have not made a mistake.” – Karl Popper

"Nothing is so difficult as not deceiving oneself." - Ludwig Wittgenstein

“All knowledge resolves itself into probability.” – David Hume

"All our knowledge begins with the senses, proceeds then to the understanding and ends with reason." - Immanual Kant

Extreme scepticism — the idea that we can’t know anything at all — rarely survives everyday life. Even extreme sceptics cross the road, trust memory, and make plans. But that doesn’t mean scepticism has nothing to offer us.

In this session, we’ll treat scepticism as a discipline rather than a doctrine: a way of questioning our own reasons, loosening the grip of beliefs that define us, and reflecting on how certainty, identity, and moral confidence interact.

We’ll look at scepticism in both public beliefs (war, politics, social narratives) and personal ones (“my boss thinks I’m incompetent,” “I believe in God”), and ask when scepticism is not a threat, but a form of care.

Some questions to ponder:

• Which of your beliefs would feel most uncomfortable to examine sceptically — and why that one?
• When does questioning a belief feel like questioning who you are?
• Are there beliefs it is irresponsible not to be sceptical about?
• Can scepticism strengthen belief rather than weaken it?
• Is scepticism best understood as doubt, humility, or care?

Thought Experiment: Think of a belief that matters to you and influences how you act.
Now ask:

• What would I lose if this belief turned out to be false or overstated?
• Does this belief protect me, motivate me, or define me?

Would scepticism change what you believe — or just how tightly you hold it?

Crash Course Philosophy - Descartes Sceptisim
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLKrmw906TM

How do we know what's real
https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/finding-purpose/202008/how-do-we-know-what-is-real