Il problema del realismo : osservazioni a margine di un corso dio Mario Dal Pra

Abstract. The Question of Realism. Remarks on a Course of Lectures by Mario Dal Pra. In the academic year 1980-81, Dal Pra delivered a course of lessons on the question of realism in the history of thought, whose main concern was the relation between realism and skeptical thought. In his opinion, radical pyrrhonism has a dialectic function: in its paradoxical outcomes, it shows that metaphysical realism is untenable. Radical pyrrhonism, strictly carried out, leads therefore to empirical realism. On the contrary, moderate phyrrhonism, which, according to Dal Pra, is a sound philosophical attitude, seems to imply the denial of a realistic attitude. In the author\u2019s opinion, both these conclusions are questionable. On the other hand, the author agrees with Dal Pra in believing that a deep understanding of the philosophical debate on realism cannot avoid to face the skeptical challenge and that every discussion which simply forgets the skeptical arguments inevitably runs the risk of being superficial