(November 18, 2013 at 7:07 pm)Statler Waldorf Wrote: MindForgedManacle is completely right; your objection can be raised against anyone’s view of reality. It’s taken several forms in the history of philosophy such as Descartes' Demon and the Brain in the Vat. You claim that you are immune to such an objection because you are willing to alter your beliefs in the face of contrary evidence. What about your belief that your senses accurately perceive reality? Or your belief that the exterior Universe is knowable? If you were delusional or being deceived then you cannot demonstrate that these two claims are indeed true without invoking circularity (these two beliefs do make more sense in light of theism however). It is an interesting subject to ponder, but as far as the debate on theism it is irrelevant.
Nice dodge.
Came to the conclusion a ways back that it is not possible for the self to know that the self is not delusional entirely through naive philosophy.
However I find it relevant to theism as self-exploration is often lacking in that group.