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Single Idea 4722
[filed under theme 13. Knowledge Criteria / A. Justification Problems / 1. Justification / a. Justification issues
]
Full Idea
The two dichotomies which set the agenda in contemporary epistemology are the foundationalist-coherentist debate, and the internalist-externalist debate.
Gist of Idea
Modern epistemology centres on debates about foundations, and about external justification
Source
Paul O'Grady (Relativism [2002], Ch.4)
Book Ref
O'Grady,Paul: 'Relativism' [Acumen 2002], p.97
A Reaction
Helpful. Roughly, foundationalists are often externalists (if they are empiricists), and coherentists are often internalists (esp. if they are rationalists). An eccentric combination would make a good PhD.
The
24 ideas
from 'Relativism'
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4697
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There has been a distinct 'Social Turn' in recent philosophy, like the earlier 'Linguistic Turn'
[O'Grady]
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4698
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What counts as a fact partly depends on the availability of human concepts to describe them
[O'Grady]
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4703
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The epistemic theory of truth presents it as 'that which is licensed by our best theory of reality'
[O'Grady]
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4701
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To say a relative truth is inexpressible in other frameworks is 'weak', while saying it is false is 'strong'
[O'Grady]
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4705
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Logical relativism appears if we allow more than one legitimate logical system
[O'Grady]
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4700
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A third value for truth might be "indeterminate", or a point on a scale between 'true' and 'false'
[O'Grady]
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4704
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Wittgenstein reduced Russell's five primitive logical symbols to a mere one
[O'Grady]
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4706
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Early Quine says all beliefs could be otherwise, but later he said we would assume mistranslation
[O'Grady]
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4711
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Anti-realists say our theories (such as wave-particle duality) give reality incompatible properties
[O'Grady]
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4715
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We may say that objects have intrinsic identity conditions, but still allow multiple accounts of them
[O'Grady]
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4709
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Ontological relativists are anti-realists, who deny that our theories carve nature at the joints
[O'Grady]
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4710
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Verificationism was attacked by the deniers of the analytic-synthetic distinction, needed for 'facts'
[O'Grady]
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4717
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If we abandon the analytic-synthetic distinction, scepticism about meaning may be inevitable
[O'Grady]
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4725
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Contextualism says that knowledge is relative to its context; 'empty' depends on your interests
[O'Grady]
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4720
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Sense-data are only safe from scepticism if they are primitive and unconceptualised
[O'Grady]
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4722
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Modern epistemology centres on debates about foundations, and about external justification
[O'Grady]
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4724
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Internalists say the reasons for belief must be available to the subject, and externalists deny this
[O'Grady]
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4723
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Coherence involves support from explanation and evidence, and also probability and confirmation
[O'Grady]
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4719
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Maybe developments in logic and geometry have shown that the a priori may be relative
[O'Grady]
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4727
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The chief problem for fideists is other fideists who hold contrary ideas
[O'Grady]
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4734
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Cryptographers can recognise that something is a language, without translating it
[O'Grady]
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4732
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One may understand a realm of ideas, but be unable to judge their rationality or truth
[O'Grady]
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4731
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Good reasoning will avoid contradiction, enhance coherence, not ignore evidence, and maximise evidence
[O'Grady]
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4735
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Just as maps must simplify their subject matter, so thought has to be reductionist about reality
[O'Grady]
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