Theory of knowledge Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Theory of knowledge - Essay Example The sole purpose of philosophical idealisms also poses a major influence in dignifying its worthiness in the human society, which clearly avows that educating is not the purpose of philosophy, but the purpose is to develop understanding (Hacker 2005, 7-12). Yet, this principle notion of philosophy does not advocate it’s obsolescing from the reality or reasonability. With reference to Socrates’ method to verify the reasonability of a philosophical idealism, one should emphasize the underlying meaning of the words and the association of truth with the idealized thought (Davis 2011, 19-20). Plato also argued that the real worthiness of philosophical idealism lies in delivering a true meaning of the opinions formed and the knowledge gained from reality (Howe 2006, 1). Astonishingly, assertions made by Ludwig Wittgenstein, in his most debated work, â€Å"On Certainty†, lacks in terms of adjusting with the praxis of reasonability, as described in the Socratic method an d even befitting with the essence of ‘true knowledge’ avowed by Plato. In Wittgenstein’s notes, which was later published as a book by G. E. M. Anscombe, following his death, claims have been made to counter the significance of habitual as well as perpetual doubts practiced in contrast to every aspect of philosophic idealisms. One of his notes thus proclaimed, â€Å"From its seeming to me - or to everyone - to be so, it doesn't follow that it is so. What we can ask is whether it can make sense to doubt it† (Wittgenstein 1969, 140). In his notes, Wittgenstein also argued that such practices must be rejected in most cases, if not in all; because doubts, as a form of philosophical skepticism, entrench into the beliefs in a radical form, contradicting the same ideology that articulated the grounds of those doubts. In his another note, Wittgenstein postulates, The statement â€Å"I know that here is a hand† may then be continued: â€Å"for it's my hand that I'm looking at.† Then a reasonable man will not doubt that I know. - Nor will the idealist; rather he will say that he was not dealing with the practical doubt which is being dismissed, but there is a further doubt behind that one. - That this is an illusion has to be shown in a different way (Wittgenstein 1969, 141). Many critics have thus far argued in contradiction as well as in agreement to these connotations. What remains common in most of these theses is the lack of understanding of Wittgenstein’s idealism, which is apparent in the way it is portrayed with some shallow illustrations. Perhaps, it is this gap that gave rise to the limitations of Wittgenstein’s arguments in contrast to the significance of philosophical skepticism. THESIS STATEMENT The lacuna of Wittgenstein’s arguments contrary to the practice of making doubts in philosophical ideologies becomes apparent when it is measured on the basis of Plato’s as well as Socrates’ methods of deriving a worthy result within the realm of philosophy. Based on this understanding, the thesis will argue that Wittgenstein’s idealism, as translated by G. E. Moore, lacks owing to its nature of fallacy being idealized on the basis of illustrations that either represent a universal truth or exemplify incontrovertible aspects to which, no contradictions apply as those are already proven, justified and accepted. In other