The Development and Manifestations of Fallibilism in the Epistemology of Descartes and Hume

Abstract

The landscape of the modern Western philosophy, particularly within the domain of epistemological inquiry, has been profoundly influenced by the seminal contributions of the encyclopedic thinkers: the French philosopher René Descartes (1596-1650) and the Scottish philosopher David Hume (1711-1776). Their perspectives have redefined numerous epistemological challenges inherent to both philosophy and science, laying the groundwork for the advancement of novel conceptual and methodological frameworks to address these challenges. Despite the marked differences between their epistemological frameworks, the philosophies of Descartes and Hume share several significant points of convergence that are particularly relevant to general fallibilism. For Descartes, the path to effective knowledge and the apprehension of truth is primarily forged through reason, emphasizing the understanding and application of its most fundamental principles and laws. Conversely, Hume posits that the foundation of epistemology rests upon experience and direct observation.