Question

Chapter IV: Reasons for Belief and Doubt. Review Study Guide.

Explain/define the following:

5) List and explain at least two reasons to doubt the reliability of personal experience.

6) List and explain at least two reasons for fooling ourselves on the basis of evidence

7) List and explain at least two reasons for the unreliability of claims in the news media. How can we defend ourselves against this?

8) How do advertisers try to persuade? Explain the term “vagueness” with regard to misleading comparisons.

Answer 1

5) List and explain at least two reasons to doubt the reliability of personal experience.

(A)Impairment: If our perceptual powers are somehow impaired, we have reason to doubt them.

The following things can impair our perceptual power:

Situation: too dark, too bright, too hazy, or too noisy.

Senses: sick, injured, tired, stressed, excited, drugged, distracted, disoriented, or drunk

(B)Expectation: We often perceive exactly what we expect, regardless of whether there’s really anything there to detect. For example: We may hear scary sounds in the woods, just because we expect to hear them.

6) List and explain at least two reasons for fooling ourselves on the basis of evidence

(A)Having full faith in the provided evidence.

(B)Ignoring other aspects and possibilities in the given situation.