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[Pages:100]Epistemology

`Audi's introduction is at once philosophically insightful and masterfully written ? even more so in its new edition. Guaranteed to fascinate the beginner while retaining its exalted status with the experts.' Claudio de Almeida, PUCRS, Brazil `My students like this book and have learned much from it, as I have ... Epistemology ? especially in its second edition ? is simply the best textbook in epistemology that I know of.' Thomas Vinci, Dalhousie University, Canada

Praise for the first edition: `No less than one would expect from a first-rate epistemologist who is also a master expositor; lucid, comprehensive, well-structured, and excellently informed both by the tradition and by recent developments. A superb introduction.' Ernest Sosa, Brown University `An excellent book. It is comprehensive in scope and very systematically organised.' Philosophical Books `This is a massively impressive book, introducing the reader to virtually all areas of epistemology. Robert Audi's text is lucid and highly readable, while not shirking the considerable complexities of the subject matter.' Elizabeth Fricker, University of Oxford `Easily among the best and most comprehensive introductions to epistemology.' Noah Lemos, DePauw University `A state-of-the-art introduction to epistemology by one of the leading figures in the field.' William P. Alston, Syracuse University

Epistemology, or the theory of knowledge, is concerned with how we know what we do, what justifies us in believing what we do, and what standards of evidence we should use in seeking truths about the world and human experience. This comprehensive book introduces the concepts and theories central for understanding knowledge. This revised edition builds on the topics covered in the widely acclaimed first edition and includes new material on subjects such as virtue epistemology, social epistemology and feminist epistemology. The chapter on moral, scientific and religious knowledge has also been expanded and revised.

Robert Audi is the Charles J. Mach University Professor of Philosophy at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. He has published many books and articles in the field and is Editor of the Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy (1995, 1999).

Routledge Contemporary Introductions to Philosophy

Series Editor: Paul K. Moser Loyola University of Chicago

This innovative, well-structured series is for students who have already done an introductory course in philosophy. Each book introduces a core general subject in contemporary philosophy and offers students an accessible but substantial transition from introductory to higher-level college work in that subject. The series is accessible to non-specialists and each book clearly motivates and expounds the problems and positions introduced. An orientating chapter briefly introduces its topic and reminds readers of any crucial material they need to have retained from a typical introductory course. Considerable attention is given to explaining the central philosophical problems of a subject and the main competing solutions and arguments for those solutions. The primary aim is to educate students in the main problems, positions and arguments of contemporary philosophy rather than to convince students of a single position.

Epistemology Second Edition Robert Audi

Ethics Harry Gensler

Metaphysics Second Edition Michael J. Loux

Philosophy of Art No?l Carroll

Philosophy of Language William G. Lycan

Philosopy of Mind John Heil

Philosophy of Religion Keith E.Yandell

Philosophy of Science Alex Rosenberg

Social and Political Philosophy John Christman

Epistemology

A contemporary introduction to the theory of knowledge Second edition

Robert Audi

First edition 1998 by Routledge 11 New Fetter Lane, London EC4P 4EE Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada by Routledge 29 West 35th Street, New York, NY 10001 Second edition 2003 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group

This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2005.

"To purchase your own copy of this or any of Taylor & Francis or Routledge's collection of thousands of eBooks please go to eBookstore.tandf.co.uk."

?2003 Robert Audi

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data A catalog record for this book has been requested

ISBN 0-203-98707-1 Master e-book ISBN

ISBN 0?415?28108?3 (HBK) 0?415?28109?1 (PBK)

To Malou

Contents

Preface to the first edition

ix

Preface to the second edition

xv

Introduction: a sketch of the sources and nature of

belief, justification, and knowledge

1

Perception, belief, and justification

1

Justification as process, as status, and as property

2

Knowledge and justification

3

Memory, introspection, and self-consciousness

4

Reason and rational reflection

5

Testimony

5

Basic sources of belief, justification, and knowledge

6

Three kinds of grounds of belief

7

Fallibility and skepticism

8

Overview

9

Part One

Sources of justification, knowledge, and truth

13

1 Perception

15

The elements and basic kinds of perception

16

Seeing and believing

21

Some commonsense views of perception

30

The theory of appearing

32

Sense-datum theories of perception

33

Adverbial theories of perception

3` 8

Adverbial and sense-datum theories of sensory experience

41

Phenomenalism

43

Perception and the senses

47

2 Memory

55

Memory and the past

57

The causal basis of memory beliefs

58

Theories of memory

60

Remembering, recalling, and imaging

66

Remembering, imaging, and recognition

67

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