Single Idea 19714

[catalogued under 13. Knowledge Criteria / A. Justification Problems / 1. Justification / c. Defeasibility]

Full Idea

The 'defeasibility theory' of knowledge claims that knowledge is only present if there are no facts that - if they were known - would be genuine defeaters of the relevant justification.

Gist of Idea

Knowledge requires that there are no facts which would defeat its justification

Source

Thomas Grundmann (Defeasibility Theory [2011], 'What')

Book Reference

'Routledge Companion to Epistemology', ed/tr. Bernecker,S/Pritchard,D [Routledge 2014], p.157


A Reaction

Something not right here. A genuine defeater would ensure the proposition was false, so it would simply fail the truth test. So we need a 'defeater' for a truth, which must therefore by definition be misleading. Many qualifications have to be invoked.