Leading analytic philosophers, like Timothy Williamson and Derek Parfit, argue that common sense is a way of testing the truth of philosophical theories. If philosophy seems to contradict what we take to be commonsense knowledge, they argue, so much the worse for philosophy. But common sense can be wildly misleading, merely reflecting the prejudices of a particular culture or era. What was once considered common sense knowledge is today known to be false. Instead of relying on common sense, philosophy should consider using scientific knowledge as a starting point and test for its claims, argues Marcus Arvan.
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