Experimental Epistemology: Knowledge and Gettier Cases
Abstract
The central focus of post-Gettier epistemology was the attempt to find necessary and sufficient conditions that captured “the ordinary concept of knowledge” - on the assumption that there was a single, widely shared concept to be found. A guiding assumption behind this project was that the competent epistemic judgments of ordinary individuals were relevant to whether an analysis is correct. Against this backdrop, experimental epistemology emerged as the systematic empirical study of epistemic judgments. Expecting to find cross-cultural differences, experimental philosophers have instead uncovered broad agreement. Notably, researchers have found that most people agree that false beliefs and unjustified beliefs do not count as knowledge and that justified true beliefs in Gettier cases do not count as knowledge when they are based upon merely apparent rather than authentic evidence. However, contrary to received philosophical wisdom, non-philosophers judge that justified true beliefs formed on the basis of authentic evidence do count as knowledge even when the putative knower is in a classic Gettier situation. What the distinction between authentic and apparent evidence amounts to and what other differences in epistemic intuitions across demographic groups there might be are important issues that mainstream and experimental philosophers need to work together to understand.
Abstract
The central focus of post-Gettier epistemology was the attempt to find necessary and sufficient conditions that captured “the ordinary concept of knowledge” - on the assumption that there was a single, widely shared concept to be found. A guiding assumption behind this project was that the competent epistemic judgments of ordinary individuals were relevant to whether an analysis is correct. Against this backdrop, experimental epistemology emerged as the systematic empirical study of epistemic judgments. Expecting to find cross-cultural differences, experimental philosophers have instead uncovered broad agreement. Notably, researchers have found that most people agree that false beliefs and unjustified beliefs do not count as knowledge and that justified true beliefs in Gettier cases do not count as knowledge when they are based upon merely apparent rather than authentic evidence. However, contrary to received philosophical wisdom, non-philosophers judge that justified true beliefs formed on the basis of authentic evidence do count as knowledge even when the putative knower is in a classic Gettier situation. What the distinction between authentic and apparent evidence amounts to and what other differences in epistemic intuitions across demographic groups there might be are important issues that mainstream and experimental philosophers need to work together to understand.
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Contents V
- List of Abbreviations VII
- Introduction 1
-
Part 1: The Philosophy of Experimental Philosophy
- History and Philosophy of Experimental Philosophy: All in the Family 9
- Projects and Methods of Experimental Philosophy 39
- Intuitions in Experimental Philosophy 71
- Limitations and Criticism of Experimental Philosophy 101
-
Part 2: Topics from Theoretical Philosophy
- Experimental Metaphysics: Causation 133
- Experimental Epistemology: Knowledge and Gettier Cases 163
- Experimental Philosophy of Language: Proper Names and Predicates 183
- The Experimental Philosophy of Logic and Formal Epistemology: Conditionals 211
- Experimental Philosophy of Science: Scientific Explanation 237
- Experimental Philosophy of Mind: Conscious State Attribution 263
-
Part 3: Topics from Practical Philosophy
- Experimental Political Philosophy: Social Contract 291
- Experimental Legal Philosophy: General Jurisprudence 309
- Experimental Philosophy of Action: Free Will and Moral Responsibility 327
- Experimental Philosophy of Emotion: Emotion Theory 353
- Experimental Philosophy of Religion: Problem of Evil 371
- Experimental Philosophy of Aesthetics: Aesthetic Judgment 393
- List of Contributors 417
- Index 421
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Contents V
- List of Abbreviations VII
- Introduction 1
-
Part 1: The Philosophy of Experimental Philosophy
- History and Philosophy of Experimental Philosophy: All in the Family 9
- Projects and Methods of Experimental Philosophy 39
- Intuitions in Experimental Philosophy 71
- Limitations and Criticism of Experimental Philosophy 101
-
Part 2: Topics from Theoretical Philosophy
- Experimental Metaphysics: Causation 133
- Experimental Epistemology: Knowledge and Gettier Cases 163
- Experimental Philosophy of Language: Proper Names and Predicates 183
- The Experimental Philosophy of Logic and Formal Epistemology: Conditionals 211
- Experimental Philosophy of Science: Scientific Explanation 237
- Experimental Philosophy of Mind: Conscious State Attribution 263
-
Part 3: Topics from Practical Philosophy
- Experimental Political Philosophy: Social Contract 291
- Experimental Legal Philosophy: General Jurisprudence 309
- Experimental Philosophy of Action: Free Will and Moral Responsibility 327
- Experimental Philosophy of Emotion: Emotion Theory 353
- Experimental Philosophy of Religion: Problem of Evil 371
- Experimental Philosophy of Aesthetics: Aesthetic Judgment 393
- List of Contributors 417
- Index 421
