Certainty (Hackett Readings in Philosophy)

“The selections are well chosen . . . the Introduction and headnotes are extremely clear and well written . . . appropriately pegged for a very introductory audience.”
     —Steven Gerrard, Williams College

Contents:

• PLATO, “Knowledge and Opinion,” from Republic
• AUGUSTINE, “Three Things True and Certain,” from The City of God
• AQUINAS, “Whether Faith is More Certain than Science . . . ?” from Summa Theologica
• DESCARTES, Meditations I, II, VI, from Meditations
• LEIBNIZ, “On the Method of Distinguishing Real from Imaginary Phenomena”
• HUME, “Of the Academical or Sceptical Philosophy,” from Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding
• REID, “Reflections on the Common Theory of Ideas,” from Essays on the Intellectual Powers of Man
• HUSSERL, “First Meditation: the Way to the Transcendental Ego,” from Cartesian Meditations
• MOORE, “Certainty,” from Philosophical Papers
• WITTGENSTEIN, “On Certainty,” from On Certainty
• REICHENBACH, “The Search for Certainty and the Rationalistic Conception of Knowledge,” from The Rise of Scientific Philosophy
• MALCOLM, “Do I Know I Am Awake?” from Dreaming
• BOUWSMA, “Descartes’ Evil Genius,” from Philosophical Essays
• SMULLYAN, “Dream or Reality,” from 5000 B.C. and Other Philosophical Fantasies
• OCTAVIO PAZ, “Certainty,” a poem from Configurations