Original scientific paper

Mercier and Zimmermann's critique of Scepticism

Dario Škarica orcid.org/0000-0002-6788-2242 ; Institute of Philosophy, Zagreb; Faculty of Philosophy, University of Split

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to determine whether Mercier influenced Zimmermann’s critique of scepticism. The author focuses both on Mercier’s and Zimmermann’s understanding of the problem of scepticism and on their arguments against it. The conclusions are as follows: Since Zimmermann’s arguments against scepticism are standard neo-scholastic arguments, it is not possible to determine who influenced Zimmermann in this respect, i.e., whether it was Mercier or some other neo-scholastic philosopher. On the other hand, it is possible to determine Mercier’s influence on Zimmermann’s understanding of the problem of scepticism as a preliminary epistemological problem, within the overall articulation of the epistemological problem into the preliminary problem (scepticism) and the two main problems (subjectivism and idealism) – for, within neo-scholasticism, such an understanding of the problem of scepticism and such an articulation of the epistemological problem is typically Mercierian.

Keywords

Stjepan Zimmermann, Désiré Joseph Mercier, scepticism, the articulation of the problem of knowledge

Hrčak ID:

345094

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/345094

Publication date:

4.3.2026.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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