Impersonal Skepticism

Impersonal Skepticism is the version of skepticism which began 400 years ago with The European Enlightenment. It is also called empiricism; since the difference between skepticism and empiricism is scant.

I'm calling it impersonal because the skeptic isn't worried about any of the old anti-skeptic arguments such as how can one distinguish between experience, dreams, hallucinations, or a Matrix-world? The skeptic knows reality (actual experience); and doesn't get confused between these kinds of experiences. The skeptic is based, and doesn't fall for word-games, gaslighting, nor brain-washing.

Skepticism is essentially an epistemology. It has no metaphysics I know of. It may have ethics. If we wish to go further into philosophy, go past skepticism; then I recommend either/or psychology and experimental philosophy. By all means, study or read other philosophies - but these philosophical schools and branches all have massive weaknesses; apart from skepticism.

Psychology

Why learn psychology? I think the answer to that question is obvious. Psychology studies how actual people think and behave. We live in the world of actual people. Yet, beware: just as in philosophy - there's too much speculation in psychology, and, worse, there's also bad research wherein researchers make claims about psychology based on weak statistics. With all research you read, ensure sample sizes are in the hundreds (at minimum) and are a true sample of the population being researched.

Experimental Philosophy

Experimental philosophy is an interdisciplinary approach that uses the methods of psychology and cognitive science to answer questions philosophy traditionally poses us. For example, perhaps we can use eperimental philosophy to give empiricists and skeptics a better ethics?

What's New?

I've changed my own personal philosophy and ethics since since studying more psychology. In terms of ethics, I no longer absolutely hold to the golden rule. I think the golden rule isn't applicable when it can and is used against you. For example, psychopaths will always use everthing you give them against you. Not necessarily immediately, but surely when it's to their advantage. Psychopaths are about 1% of other people.