A Reidian Transcendental Argument Against Skepticism
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21503576 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Benjamin W McCraw (0000-0001-7282-5560, University of South Carolina Upstate, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 40 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 339-354 |
| Publication date | 2026-05-04 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Social Epistemology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0269-1728 • E-ISSN: 1464-5297 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/02691728.2025.2488332 |
| OpenAlex | W4409685294 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 33 |
In this paper, I defend a line of reasoning from Thomas Reid against skepticism. Often philosophers turn to Reid to attack skepticism, but the argument with which I am concerned with is ignored by most contemporary Reidian approaches. Instead of the more famous parity-based argument against skepticism, I propose a Reidian transcendental argument against skepticism. Reid argues that if the skeptic is to argue at all for skepticism, then they undermine the very possibility of a cogent pro-skepticism argument. Reid emphasizes the role of reason and learning early in life on our ability to formulate, understand, and evaluate arguments later in life. Our argumentative thinking now depends necessarily on our good cognitive development in the past. The skeptic, in attacking either our beliefs or their epistemic status in general, undercuts the early pre-conditions for logical thought. By emphasizing just how much cognitive well-foundedness logic requires, skeptical arguments undermine themselves: they are self-referentially undercutting
Epistemology · Skepticism · Transcendental number · Epistemology, Ethics, and Metaphysics · Philosophy · Philosophy and Theoretical Science · Wittgensteinian philosophy and applications
Epistemic Angst
Perceiving God
Understanding Wittgenstein’s On Certainty
An Inquiry into the Human Mind on the Principles of Common Sense
Thomas Reid - Essays on the Active Powers of Man
Thomas Reid and the Story of Epistemology
Reid on Language and the Culture of Mind
An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding
On the Subtleties of Reidian Pragmatism
Re-evaluating Reid's Response to Skepticism
The Necessity of Pragmatism
The Skeptic and The Madman
Reid's Dilemma and the uses of Pragmatism
Solving the Skeptical Problem
Reid's Anti-Sensationalism and His Realism
Skepticism and Naturalism
Epistemic Circularity
Thomas Reid - Essays on the Intellectual Powers of Man
Transcendental Arguments
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |