Question 1

What is the relativist theory of truth and how does Nagel criticize it? Is Nagel's criticism convincing in your view? Why or why not?

Accepted Answer

good essay will:
Provide a thesis at the outset that clearly states whether Nagel's criticism is convincing.
Provide a thorough and detailed exposition of Nagel's criticism, focusing on how the relativist theory (a) makes mistakes impossible and (b) is possibly self-refuting.
Provide a careful critical evaluation of Nagel's criticism that explains either (a) where and why it goes wrong OR (b) why it is convincing (this can include defending it from possible objections).

Question 2

What is the difference between factivity and non-factivity according to Nagel? Why is this distinction important to her discussion of knowledge?

Accepted Answer

Nagel distinguishes between factivity and non-factivity in her discussion of knowledge. Factivity refers to the requirement that a belief must be true in order to count as knowledge, while non-factivity refers to the possibility of having knowledge even if the belief is false.

This distinction is important to Nagel's discussion of knowledge because it helps to clarify the conditions under which a belief can be considered knowledge. By distinguishing between factivity and non-factivity, Nagel is able to explore the different ways in which we can have knowledge and the implications of these different ways for our understanding of the nature of knowledge.

For example, if knowledge is understood as factive, then it becomes crucial to ensure that our beliefs are true in order to count as knowledge. On the other hand, if knowledge is understood as non-factive, then it opens up the possibility of having knowledge even if our beliefs turn out to be false. This has important implications for our understanding of the reliability and justification of our beliefs, as well as for the nature of truth and its relationship to knowledge.

Overall, the distinction between factivity and non-factivity is important to Nagel's discussion of knowledge because it helps to clarify the conditions under which a belief can be considered knowledge and the implications of these conditions for our understanding of the nature of knowledge.

Question 3

Why does Nagel claim that a confidently held belief does not amount to knowledge? Do you agree? Why or why not?

Accepted Answer

Nagel claims that a confidently held belief does not amount to knowledge because knowledge requires more than just belief. According to Nagel, knowledge also requires justification and truth. In other words, simply believing something confidently is not enough to claim that you have knowledge of it.

I agree with Nagel's claim because it aligns with the traditional definition of knowledge. In epistemology, knowledge is often defined as justified true belief. This means that in order for something to be considered knowledge, it must be not only believed to be true, but also justified by evidence or reasoning, and actually be true.

For example, someone may confidently believe that they have a winning lottery ticket, but without actually checking the numbers or having any evidence to support their belief, their confidence alone does not make it knowledge.

In conclusion, I agree with Nagel's claim that confidently held belief does not amount to knowledge because knowledge requires more than just belief. It requires justification and truth as well.

Question 4

According to Protagoras, there is no such thing as truth.

Accepted Answer

Protagoras is famous for saying, "Man is the measure of all things," which suggests that truth is subjective and varies from person to person, not that there is no truth at all.

Question 5

Nagel claims that Protagoras's view is possibly self-refuting.

Accepted Answer

Nagel argues that Protagoras's view, which suggests that truth is relative to the individual's perception, could be self-refuting because if Protagoras's claim is true only relative to Protagoras, then it might not hold as a universal truth, undermining its own assertion.

Question 6

According to Nagel, it is impossible to know something false.

Accepted Answer

According to Nagel, knowledge requires that what one claims to know is actually true; therefore, it is impossible to "know" something that is false, as that would contradict the definition of knowledge.

Question 7

According to Nagel, verbs like think and believe are factive.

Accepted Answer

Nagel argues that verbs like "think" and "believe" are not factive because they do not imply the truth of their complement. Factive verbs, such as "know" or "realize," imply that the proposition they introduce is true, whereas "think" and "believe" do not carry this implication.

Question 8

According to Nagel's analysis, a confidently held true belief is all that knowledge requires.

Accepted Answer

Nagel argues that knowledge requires more than just a confidently held true belief; it also requires justification for the belief.

Question 9

According to the Ancient Greek philosopher Protagoras, there is no such thing as
A) Knowledge.
B) Objective truth.
C) Wisdom.
D) All of the above.

Accepted Answer

Protagoras is famous for his assertion that "man is the measure of all things," which is often interpreted to mean that there is no objective truth outside of human perceptions and beliefs. This suggests that truth is subjective and varies from person to person.

Question 10

According to Nagel, Protagoras's view seems to imply that
A) No one ever makes a mistake.
B) There is no such thing as truth.
C) Knowledge is impossible.
D) All of the above.

Accepted Answer

Protagoras's view, as interpreted by Nagel, suggests that truth is subjective and relative to each individual's perception, implying that if everyone is right in their own perspective, then no one ever makes a mistake.

Question 11

According to Nagel, perhaps the biggest problem for Protagoras's relativist theory is that it is
A) Too confusing.
B) Impractical.
C) Self-refuting.
D) None of the above.

Accepted Answer

Nagel argues that Protagoras's relativist theory is self-refuting because if all truths are relative to the individual observer, then the statement that "all truths are relative" would itself be only relatively true, leading to a contradiction in the theory's universal claim.

Question 12

Nagel claims that unlike Protagoras most philosophers believe that truth is
A) Objective.
B) Subjective.
C) Unknowable.
D) Innate.

Accepted Answer

Nagel argues that, contrary to Protagoras, who is famous for his view that "man is the measure of all things" (implying a subjective approach to truth), most philosophers maintain that truth is objective, meaning it exists independently of human thoughts and beliefs.

Question 13

According to Nagel, knowledge is essentially linked to truth. This feature of knowledge is called
A) Objectivity.
B) Propositionality.
C) Veridicality.
D) Factivity.

Accepted Answer

Factivity refers to the feature of knowledge that it must be true; if someone knows something, then it must be a fact.

Question 14

According to Nagel, __________ is an example of a non-factive verb.
A) See.
B) Think.
C) Remember.
D) None of the above.

Accepted Answer

Non-factive verbs, like "think," do not presuppose the truth of their complement clause, contrasting with factive verbs such as "see" and "remember," which imply the truth of their content.

Question 15

According to Nagel, __________ is an example of a factive verb.
A) Believe.
B) Hope.
C) Think.
D) None of the above.

Accepted Answer

Nagel identifies factive verbs as those that presuppose the truth of the proposition they introduce. "Believe," "hope," and "think" do not presuppose the truth of their propositions, thus none of the options listed are considered factive verbs according to Nagel.

Question 16

According to Nagel, we sometimes speak of someone "knowing" a falsehood when we use "know" in a __________ sense.
A) Relative.
B) Projective.
C) Subjective.
D) Objective.

Accepted Answer

The answer of According to Nagel, we sometimes speak of...

Question 17

According to Nagel, __________ is a requirement of knowledge.
A) Truth.
B) Confidence.
C) Both a and
D) Neither a nor

Accepted Answer

According to Nagel, both truth and confidence are requirements of knowledge.

Question 18

According to Nagel, a confidently held belief is __________ for knowledge.
A) Necessary.
B) Sufficient.
C) Both a and b.
D) Neither a nor b.

Accepted Answer

A confidently held belief is necessary for knowledge because it is the foundation upon which knowledge is built. Without a belief, there can be no knowledge.

Question 19

What is the relativist theory of truth? What reasons might someone give for thinking this is the right account of truth? Are these reasons persuasive in your view? Why or why not?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is the relativist theory of truth?...

Question 20

Nagel argues that knowledge requires more than truth and confidence. Can you think of what else might be required? Explain your answer.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Nagel argues that knowledge requires more than...

Quiz 3: Knowing Vs Thinking

What is the relativist theory of truth and how does Nagel criticize it? Is Nagel's criticism convincing in your view? Why or why not?

What is the difference between factivity and non-factivity according to Nagel? Why is this distinction important to her discussion of knowledge?

Why does Nagel claim that a confidently held belief does not amount to knowledge? Do you agree? Why or why not?

According to Protagoras, there is no such thing as truth.

Nagel claims that Protagoras's view is possibly self-refuting.

According to Nagel, it is impossible to know something false.

According to Nagel, verbs like think and believe are factive.

According to Nagel's analysis, a confidently held true belief is all that knowledge requires.

According to the Ancient Greek philosopher Protagoras, there is no such thing as

According to Nagel, Protagoras's view seems to imply that

According to Nagel, perhaps the biggest problem for Protagoras's relativist theory is that it is

Nagel claims that unlike Protagoras most philosophers believe that truth is

According to Nagel, knowledge is essentially linked to truth. This feature of knowledge is called

According to Nagel, __________ is an example of a non-factive verb.

According to Nagel, __________ is an example of a factive verb.

According to Nagel, we sometimes speak of someone "knowing" a falsehood when we use "know" in a __________ sense.

According to Nagel, __________ is a requirement of knowledge.

According to Nagel, a confidently held belief is __________ for knowledge.

What is the relativist theory of truth? What reasons might someone give for thinking this is the right account of truth? Are these reasons persuasive in your view? Why or why not?

Nagel argues that knowledge requires more than truth and confidence. Can you think of what else might be required? Explain your answer.