The Problem of the Criterion and Post Response Discussion

Help me study for my Philosophy class. I’m stuck and don’t understand.

 

PHIL 2 Puzzles and Paradoxes Fall 2020

Week 1 Quiz

In a concise—1-page—yet nevertheless coherent and well-structured essay, respond to the following prompt:

Present and briefly discuss the problem of the criterion.

Discussion

In the problem of the criterion, Chisholm asks us to choose between these three options:

(A) We start with criteria and use them to get knowledge.

(B) we start with pieces of knowledge and then derive criteria from what they share in common.

(C) we are stuck in skepticism, where we don’t know anything;

What do you think is the best option out of these 3? (Or can you think of another option not included in here?) Argue for this position by giving reasons for why you think it is the best. They don’t have to be knockdown proofs; you can for instance say that one option is more intuitive than another. But if you do say that, you would have to explain what makes that option more intuitive than the other.

In your response to other people, if you agree with that they said, try to strengthen their argument. Do this, for instance, by thinking of potential counterarguments to what they said, and rebutting them. If you disagree with their argument, provide a counterargument. It is okay to disagree with someone in a firm (but friendly!) manner.