Single Idea 9166

[catalogued under 13. Knowledge Criteria / C. External Justification / 6. Contextual Justification / a. Contextualism]

Full Idea

We should concede that different people have slightly different basic epistemological standards. ..I doubt that any clear sense could be given to the notion of 'correctness' here.

Gist of Idea

People vary in their epistemological standards, and none of them is 'correct'

Source

Hartry Field (Apriority as an Evaluative Notion [2000], 5)

Book Reference

'New Essays on the A Priori', ed/tr. Boghossian,P /Peacocke,C [OUP 2000], p.140


A Reaction

I think this is dead right. There is a real relativism about knowledge, which exists at the level of justification, rather than of truth. The scientific revolution just consisted of making the standards tougher, and that seems to have been a good idea.