How to Teach Philosophy to Your Dog by Anthony McGowan

Author:Anthony McGowan
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Publisher: Pegasus Books
Published: 2019-12-17T16:00:00+00:00

Walk 8

What Do I Know?

On this walk we begin to talk about epistemology, or the theory of knowledge. We start with the Greeks, touching on the different theories of knowledge put forward by Pythagoras, Plato and Aristotle, and then discuss the Sceptics, who denied the possibility of ever gaining sure knowledge of the world. Then we work our way through the ideas of the rationalists: Descartes, Spinoza and Leibniz.

‘Walkies!’ I called from the hallway.

Classic error.

Monty came bounding from wherever he’d been lurking. Well, perhaps not quite a bound. His bounding days were over. But he could still scamper, in a limping sort of way. He picked up his lead in his mouth (does this count as a trick, I wonder? If so, it’s his only one…), and gazed at me, the excitement making his whole body thrum like a plucked guitar string.

The trouble was that there was going to be another five minutes of me trying to locate things: wallet, keys, poo bags, shoes. I shouted out to the family, asking if anyone knew where they were. No one answered. They’ve learned to ignore my anguished cries in these situations. Mrs McG calls it my ‘wheresma rant’, as I get increasingly irate, stamping about, yelling, ‘Wheresma keys?’ ‘Wheresma wallet?’ & co.

Eventually I found them. The keys were on the tray, where they’re supposed to be (I don’t expect things to be where they should be, so never check there until all other possibilities are exhausted). My wallet was in a jacket I could have sworn I hadn’t worn for months, but I suppose I must have. My shoes were outside the front door. I’ve no idea why. I checked the soles just in case… but they were clean enough.

All the time I could sense Monty’s annoyance and frustration grow. He interspersed a couple of plaintive whines with impatient barks.

Why do you never know where anything is?

‘What? Oh, well, knowing is never as straightforward as you think. And right there, I believe, we have our topic for the day. Where do you want to go?’

That place with the animals…

‘Good choice. Today we’re going to be doing the theory of knowledge, and we might need some distractions.’

‘Who are you talking to?’ came a sharp voice from the kitchen. It was the sort of tone that, although still just in the normal register, could easily be modulated up into an actual reprimand. Of course I didn’t need to see her to know who it was.

‘No one. I mean, just me. See you later.’

‘He only pretends to listen, you know.’

‘Who?’

‘Monty.’

Monty and I looked at each other, shrugged and quietly slipped away.

‘The place with the animals’ was Golders Hill Park. It’s a part of the Heath that’s been tamed and landscaped, with a children’s play area, a decent café and a surprisingly extensive menagerie. I suppose in a fully joined-up world the café would serve up the wallabies and cassowaries that passed away (through natural causes, of course), but they were never on the menu when I was there.

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