Single Idea 19705

[catalogued under 13. Knowledge Criteria / A. Justification Problems / 3. Internal or External / a. Pro-internalism]

Full Idea

Since mentalism remains neutral on whether mental states need be accessible to an agent ...it does not seem to do justice to the intuitions that drive paradigm internalist positions.

Gist of Idea

'Mentalist' internalism seems to miss the main point, if it might not involve an agent's access

Source

Hamid Vahid (Externalism/Internalism [2011], 2 A)

Book Reference

'Routledge Companion to Epistemology', ed/tr. Bernecker,S/Pritchard,D [Routledge 2014], p.145


A Reaction

The rival view is 'access internalism', which implies that you can act on and take responsibility for your knowledge, because you are aware of its grounding. If animals know things, that might fit the mentalist picture better.