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1、ElusiveKnowledgeDAVIDLEWISDavidLewis(1941-2001)wasClassof1943UniversityProfessorofPhilosophyatPrincetonUniversity.Hiscontributionsspannedphilosophicallogic,philosophyoflanguage,philosophyofmind,philosophyofscience,metaphysics,andepistemology.InOnthePlura
2、lityofWorlds,hedefendedhischallengingmetaphysicalposition,"modalrealism."HewasalsotheauthorofthebooksConvention,Counterfactuals,PartsofClasses,andseveralvolumesofcollectedpapers.ReprintedfromAustralasianJournalofPhilosophy,74.(1996),bypermissionoftheAust
3、ralasianJournalofPhilosophy___________________________________________________Weknowalot.Iknowwhatfoodpenguinseat.Iknowthatphonesusedtoring,butnowadayssqueal,whensomeoneca11sup.IknowthatEssendonwonthe1993GrandFina1.Iknowthathereisahand,andhereisanother.W
4、ehavea11sortsofeverydayknowledge,andwehaveitinabundance.Todoubtthatwouldbeabsurd.Atanyrate,todoubtitinanyseriousandlastingwaywouldbeabsurd;andevenphilosophicalandtemporarydoubt,undertheinfluenceofargument,ismorethanalittlepeculiar.ItisaMooreanfactthatwek
5、nowalot.Itisoneofthosethingsthatweknowbetterthanweknowthepremisesofanyphilosophicalargumenttothecontrary.Besidesknowingalotthatiseverydayandtrite,Imyselfthinkthatweknowalotthatisinterestingandesotericandcontroversia1.Weknowalotaboutthingsunseen:tinyparti
6、clesandpervasivefields,nottomentiononeanother'sunderwear.Sometimesweevenknowwhatanauthormeantbyhiswritings.Butonthesequestions,letusagreetodisagreepeacefu11ywiththechampionsof"post-knowledgeism."Themosttriteandordinarypartsofourknowledgewi11beproblemenou
7、gh.Fornosoonerdoweengageinepistemology--thesystematicphilosophicalexaminationofknowledge--thanwemeetacompellingargumentthatweknownexttonothing.Thescepticalargumentisnothingneworfancy.Itisjustthis:itseemsasifknowledgemustbebydefinitioninfallible.Ifyouclai
8、mthatSknowsthatP,andyetyougrantthatScannoteliminateacertainpossibilityinwhichnot-P,itcertainlyseemsasifyouhavegrantedthatSdoesnotaftera11knowthatP.Tospeakoffallibleknowledge,ofknowledgedespiteuneliminatedpossibilitiesoferr