Sense and Certainty

This book is concerned with the question of whether there is a philosopically satisfactory rebuttal of scepticism. The hope of providing such a rebuttal is seen as depending upon our achieving a clear conception of the sceptical argument and of the philosophical context in which it is constructed. Marie McGinn argues that the argument is unanswerable, and that the sceptical conclusion is both beyond belief and in outright conflict with ordinary practice. She suggests that this makes both scepticism and common sense philosophically unsatisfactory positions. Sense and Certainty aims to construct a non-dogmatic defence of common sense. It tries to show why the absence of justification for the judgements of common sense, which the sceptic reveals, does not invalidate them. In this, it takes issue with some of the most important work in this area.