Epistemology : An Introduction to the Theory of Knowledge
[Pages:425]Epistemology
SUNY series in Philosophy George R. Lucas Jr., editor
Epistemology
An Introduction to the Theory of Knowledge
Nicholas Rescher
State University of New York
Published by State University of New York Press, Albany
? 2003 State University of New York
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Rescher, Nicholas. Epistemology : an introduction to the theory of knowledge / Nicholas Rescher. p. cm. -- (SUNY series in philosophy) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-7914-5811-3 (alk. paper) -- ISBN 0-7914-5812-1 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Knowledge, Theory of. I. Title. II. Series
BD161R477 2003 121--dc21
2003057270
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Contents
Preface
xi
Introduction
xiii
KNOWLEDGE AND ITS PROBLEMS
Chapter 1: Modes of Knowledge
3
IS KNOWLEDGE TRUE JUSTIFIED BELIEF?
3
MODES OF (PROPOSITIONAL) KNOWLEDGE
7
OTHER BASIC PRINCIPLES
10
Chapter 2: Fallibilism and Truth Estimation
15
PROBLEMS OF METAKNOWLEDGE
16
THE PREFACE PARADOX
19
THE DIALLELUS
22
AN APORY AND ITS RECONCILIATION:
K-DESTABILIZATION
23
COSTS AND BENEFITS
26
MORE ON FALLIBILISM
27
THE COMPARATIVE FRAGILITY OF SCIENCE:
SCIENTIFIC CLAIMS AS MERE ESTIMATES
30
FALLIBILISM AND THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN
OUR (PUTATIVE) TRUTH AND THE REAL TRUTH
34
Chapter 3: Skepticism and Its Deficits
37
THE SKEPTIC'S "NO CERTAINTY" ARGUMENT
37
THE ROLE OF CERTAINTY
39
THE CERTAINTY OF LOGIC VERSUS
THE CERTAINTY OF LIFE
41
v
vi
Contents
PRAGMATIC INCONSISTENCY
42
SKEPTICISM AND RISK
45
RATIONALITY AND COGNITIVE RISK
49
THE ECONOMIC DIMENSION: COSTS AND BENEFITS
53
THE DEFICIENCY OF SKEPTICISM
56
Chapter 4: Epistemic Justification in a Functionalistic and
Naturalistic Perspective
61
EXPERIENCE AND FACT
61
PROBLEMS OF COMMON-CAUSE EPISTEMOLOGY
62
MODES OF JUSTIFICATION
64
THE EVOLUTIONARY ASPECT OF SENSORY EPISTEMOLOGY 68
RATIONAL VERSUS NATURAL SELECTION
69
AGAINST "PURE" INTELLECTUALISM
74
THE PROBLEM OF ERROR
76
CONCLUSION
78
Chapter 5: Plausibility and Presumption
81
THE NEED FOR PRESUMPTIONS
81
THE ROLE OF PRESUMPTION
85
PLAUSIBILITY AND PRESUMPTION
87
PRESUMPTION AND PROBABILITY
90
PRESUMPTION AND SKEPTICISM
92
HOW PRESUMPTION WORKS: WHAT JUSTIFIES
PRESUMPTIONS
96
Chapter 6:
Trust and Cooperation in Pragmatic Perspective
101
THE COST EFFECTIVENESS OF SHARING AND COOPERATING
IN INFORMATION ACQUISITION AND MANAGEMENT
101
THE ADVANTAGES OF COOPERATION
103
BUILDING UP TRUST: AN ECONOMIC APPROACH
104
TRUST AND PRESUMPTION
106
A COMMUNITY OF INQUIRERS
108
RATIONAL INQUIRY AND THE QUEST FOR TRUTH
Chapter 7: Foundationalism and Coherentism
113
HIERARCHICAL SYSTEMIZATION: THE EUCLIDEAN MODEL OF KNOWLEDGE
CYCLIC SYSTEMIZATION: THE NETWORK MODEL-- AN ALTERNATIVE TO THE EUCLIDEAN MODEL
113 118
Contents
vii
THE CONTRAST BETWEEN FOUNDATIONALISM AND COHERENTISM
PROBLEMS OF FOUNDATIONALISM
123 128
Chapter 8: The Pursuit of Truth: Coherentist Criteriology
131
THE COHERENTIST APPROACH TO INQUIRY
131
THE CENTRAL ROLE OF DATA FOR A COHERENTIST
TRUTH-CRITERIOLOGY
135
ON VALIDATING THE COHERENCE APPROACH
139
IDEAL COHERENCE
145
TRUTH AS AN IDEALIZATION
147
Chapter 9: Cognitive Relativism and Contexualism
151
COGNITIVE REALISM
152
WHAT'S WRONG WITH RELATIVISM
154
THE CIRCUMSTANTIAL CONTEXTUALISM OF REASON
155
A FOOTHOLD OF ONE'S OWN: THE PRIMACY OF OUR
OWN POSITION
159
THE ARBITRAMENT OF EXPERIENCE
161
AGAINST RELATIVISM
165
CONTEXTUALISTIC PLURALISM IS COMPATIBLE WITH
COMMITMENT ON PURSUING "THE TRUTH"
168
THE ACHILLES' HEEL OF RELATIVISM
170
Chapter 10: The Pragmatic Rationale of Cognitive Objectivity
173
OBJECTIVITY AND THE CIRCUMSTANTIAL UNIVERSITY OF REASON
THE BASIS OF OBJECTIVITY THE PROBLEM OF VALIDATING OBJECTIVITY WHAT IS RIGHT WITH OBJECTIVISM ABANDONING OBJECTIVITY IS PRAGMATICALLY
SELF-DEFEATING
173 175 177 180
182
Chapter 11: Rationality
187
STAGE-SETTING FOR THE PROBLEM
187
OPTIMUM-INSTABILITY
188
IDEAL VERSUS PRACTICAL RATIONALITY: THE
PREDICAMENT OF REASON
190
THE PROBLEM OF VALIDATING RATIONALITY
193
THE PRAGMATIC TURN: EVEN COGNITIVE
RATIONALITY HAS A PRAGMATIC RATIONALE
196
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