Single Idea 10348

[catalogued under 13. Knowledge Criteria / C. External Justification / 8. Social Justification]

Full Idea

Coming to convince myself is actually to form a pretend communal belief with pretend others, ..which is clearly parasitic on the case where the others are real.

Gist of Idea

Private justification is justification to imagined other people

Source

Martin Kusch (Knowledge by Agreement [2002], Ch.11)

Book Reference

Kusch,Martin: 'Knowledge by Agreement' [OUP 2004], p.148


A Reaction

This slightly desperate move is a way for 'communitarian' epistemologists to deal with Robinson Crusoe cases. I think Kusch is right, but it is a bit hard to prove that this is what is 'actually' going on.