What is the opposite of scepticism?

Question

The sceptic holds that knowledge is not possible. What term/name can be given to the person who maintains that we can know propositions?

(I'm writing a piece where I want to characterise a sliding scale from extreme skepticism to extreme ??)

I'm talking "philosophical sceptic". Philosophical sceptics deny (to varying extents) knowledge. They do not require evidence before believing because they do not accept that evidence strengthens the proposition (eg Popper).

Answer 1

Can we have knowledge?

Skepticism - "No!"

Dogmatism - "Yes!"

Dogmatism: In Epistemology, the view that we can have significant knowledge of the Universe - opposed to skepticism.

Of course, there are mitigated forms of each...

Answer 2

Opposite Of Skeptical

Answer 3

You have a point. But the outer extremes are cynicism and gullibility. Cynicism is distrusting, looking for the holes in. everything you are told. Gullibility is believing everything you are told. Naivety is being simple and without guile and it is in a way a very beautiful quality.... it just doesn't fit (the cynic in me says) in this world of duality where lies are told and knaves exploit fools. Scepticism is not trusting without evidence. The ideal "middle way" between gullibility or naivety on the one hand and scepticism or cynicism on the other is discernment. Bring an open, discerning mind to what you are told, what you hear or see, what you imagine. If you need to make a decision, assess as best you can here and now, and be willing to modify your assessment, and your decision, later if new evidence, or intuition, comes to you.

Answer 4

RE:
What is the opposite of scepticism?
The sceptic holds that knowledge is not possible. What term/name can be given to the person who maintains that we can know propositions?

(I'm writing a piece where I want to characterise a sliding scale from extreme skepticism to extreme ??)

Answer 5

I disagree with your definition of what a skeptic is. A skeptic holds that sources should be examined before knowledge is accepted, not that knowledge is impossible. A skeptic literally questions the situation. The opposite of skepticism, then would be taking everything at face value without questioning anything. As another said, that would be gullibility.

It would be more accurate to say a skeptic believes that CERTAINTY is unlikely.

Believing that knowledge is not possible isn't skepticism. It is some kind of combination of closed-mindedness with nihilism, the belief that what one knows is irrelevant because nothing really matters. I would say a belief that knowledge is not possible is most closely summed up as intellectual defeatism, the opposite of which would be curiosity, a belief that knowledge is not only possible, but worth gaining.

EDIT - in view of your additional note, I'd say my husband is a skeptical rationalist philosophically, not what Popper seems to call a philosophical skeptic. Perhaps you can coin a term or find one for one who intuits his beliefs. I hesitate to label it religious or inspired, but wouldn't what you ask be a philosophical equivalent? A link to another analysis of Popper's work--
http://www.la-articles.org.uk/popper.htm

Answer 6

You want to write a paper that goes from skepticism to its opposite. Such thing is not possible.

Epistemology is the study of the nature of knowledge. It came into existence because some people believe there is a structure to knowledge. What is this structure is in dispute. For instance, you believe statement C because you take statement B as true, and as your proof, as a more fundamental truth. You believe statement B because you take statement A as true, and as your proof, as a more fundamental truth. A position called Fundamentalism would say that sooner or later you reach some statements that are true. Another position is that of circularity, where you believe C because you accept B true, you believe B because you accept A as true, you believe A because you accept C as true. Skepticism would say that such debate is useless. There are other positions.

As you see, there is no opposite to skepticism, only other different positions.

Answer 7

Naivete, methinks... though it's hard to go from being a skeptic to being naive, because naivete usually fades as a person grows older and wiser.

So instead of naivete, which would be the opposite, I think, perhaps open-mindedness would be better. A person can be open-minded without being naive.

Answer 8

Gullible Optimism or Guillible Belief?

Answer 9

Realism is the ground from where all non-skeptical philosophies are born. If you know there is a world outside of you, you can also build a consequent metaphysics. Only with that your statements can be verified / falsified. To loose hope in evidence, in realism, is to loose the chance for any kind of science.

Answer 10

A skeptic is one who wants to see proof before believing in things (A doubting Thomas).
So, the opposite of that would be a believer.

Answer 11

Gullibility