Final answer:
A skeptic believes that knowledge is impossible or highly limited due to doubt and lack of certainty, while a cognitivist recognizes the fallibility of human knowledge but still believes in the possibility of justified beliefs and knowledge.
Step-by-step explanation:
The main difference between a skeptic and a cognitivist lies in their beliefs about knowledge and certainty.
A skeptic believes that knowledge is impossible or highly limited due to the existence of doubt and the lack of certainty. They argue that it is better to suspend belief rather than rely on imperfect reasoning. On the other hand, a cognitivist recognizes the fallibility of human knowledge but still believes that it is possible to have justified beliefs and knowledge about the world.
While skeptics emphasize the need for certainty, cognitivists argue that certainty is not required for justified beliefs and knowledge. Cognitivists may adopt different approaches, such as contextualism, which acknowledges that skeptical doubts are not relevant in everyday life situations, or fallibilism, which accepts the lack of absolute certainty but still supports the possibility of knowledge.