An Introduction to the Theory of Knowledge by O'Brien, Dan -- Read -- Imperial Library of Trantor

Index

Cover Dedication Title Page Copyright Preface to the Second Edition PART I INTRODUCTION TO KNOWLEDGE

1 The Theory of Knowledge

1 Epistemology 2 The Structure of the Book

2.1 Part I: Introduction to knowledge 2.2 Part II: Sources of knowledge 2.3 Part III: Justification 2.4 Part IV: Scepticism 2.5 Part V: Areas of knowledge

3 Further Reading and Study

2 What is Knowledge?

1 Philosophical Analysis 2 The Tripartite Definition of Knowledge 3 Are Justification and Belief Necessary for Knowledge? 4 Gettier Cases 5 Richer Notions of Justification

5.1 Infallibility 5.2 No false beliefs

6 Knowledge First 7 Family Resemblance Questions Further Reading

PART II SOURCES OF KNOWLEDGE

3 A Priori Knowledge

1 Knowledge, Reason and Experience 2 Rationalism and Empiricism 3 The Synthetic A Priori 4 Self-Evidence and Certainty 5 Innate Knowledge Questions Further Reading

4 Perception

1 Direct Realism 2 Indirect Realism

2.1 The argument from illusion 2.2 Mind-body dualism

3 Rejecting Realism

3.1 Idealism 3.2 Phenomenalism 3.3 Problems for phenomenalism

4 The Intentionalist Theory of Perception

4.1 Adverbialism 4.2 Intentionalism 4.3 Phenomenology

5 Seeing That, Seeing As, and Raw Seeing Questions Questions Further Reading

5 Testimony

1 The Individualistic Approach to Knowledge 2 Testimony 3 Hume’s Account of Testimony

3.1 The problem of circularity 3.2 The Martian argument

4 Reid’s Account of Testimony 5 Transmission and Generation Questions Questions Further Reading

PART III JUSTIFICATION

6 Foundationalism

1 The Regress Argument for Traditional Foundationalism 2 Sellars and the Myth of the Given 3 Conceptual and Non-Conceptual Content 4 Wittgenstein’s Private Language Argument 5 Perceptual Experience and Thought 6 Modest Foundationalism Questions Further Reading

7 Coherentism

1 A Holistic Conception of Justification 2 The Concept of Coherence 3 Problems for Coherentism

3.1 The isolation problem 3.2 Alternative coherent belief systems

4 A Coherence Theory of Truth 5 A Coherentist Account of Perception 6 A Thinker’s Access to Her Own Belief System Questions Questions Further Reading

8 Internalism and Externalism

1 Internalism 2 Externalism

2.1 A causal account of knowledge 2.2 Reliabilist accounts of knowledge 2.3 Nozick’s tracking account of knowledge 2.4 Sensitivity and safety

3 Arguments for Externalism

3.1 Non-reflective knowledge 3.2 An epistemological cure-all

4 Arguments against Externalism

4.1 Knowledge and action 4.2 Lucky yet reliable beliefs

5 Virtue Epistemology I: Virtue Reliabilism 6 Epistemic Pluralism Questions Further Reading

PART IV SCEPTICISM

9 Scepticism I: Evil Demons and Brains in Vats

1 Cartesian Scepticism

1.1 Dreams and the demon 1.2 Descartes goes to the movies

2 Embracing Scepticism

2.1 Pyrrhonian scepticism 2.2 Dinner, backgammon and conversation

3 The Cognitive Externalist Response to Scepticism 4 The Epistemological Externalist Response to Scepticism Questions Questions Further Reading

10 Scepticism II: Contextualism and Invariantism

1 Contextualism 2 The Lottery Paradox 3 Context-Shifts and Knowledge Attribution 4 Knowledge and Practical Rationality Questions Questions Further Reading

11 The Problem of Induction

1 Inductive Inference 2 Hume’s Inductive Scepticism 3 Responses to Inductive Scepticism

3.1 Popper’s deductive conception of science 3.2 Probability 3.3 Reliabilism 3.4 Coherentism

4 The New Riddle of Induction 5 Responses to the New Riddle of Induction

5.1 Simplicity 5.2 Grue is not a colour

Questions Further Reading

12 Naturalized Epistemology

1 Quine and Epistemology

1.1 The failure of traditional epistemology 1.2 Quine and scepticism 1.3 Quine and the a priori

2 The Normative Nature of Epistemology 3 Less Radical Forms of Naturalism Questions Further Reading

PART V AREAS OF KNOWLEDGE

13 Memory

1 Memory, Belief and Knowledge 2 Memory Images 3 The Causal Theory of Memory 4 Scepticism and the Reality of the Past 5 The Relation between Perception, Testimony and Memory Questions Questions Further Reading

14 Other Minds

1 First Person Authority 2 The Problem of Other Minds and Solipsism 3 The Argument from Analogy 4 Seeing Minds 5 The Private Language Argument Revisited 6 Behaviourism 7 Theoretical Knowledge of the Mind Questions Questions Further Reading

15 Moral Knowledge

1 An Empirical Approach to Morality

1.1 Utilitarianism 1.2 Problems for utilitarianism

2 An A Priori Approach to Morality

2.1 Kant and the categorical imperative 2.2 Problems for Kant’s moral theory

3 Virtue Ethics

3.1 Virtue epistemology II: virtue responsibilism

4 Moral Testimony 5 Moral Scepticism

5.1 Relativism 5.2 Emotivism Questions

Questions Further Reading

16 God

1 An A Priori Proof for the Existence of God: The Ontological Argument 2 Empirical Justification for Religious Belief

2.1 The argument from design 2.2 The argument from miracles 2.3 Hume on miracles

3 Perceiving God 4 Pascal’s Wager 5 Scepticism, Atheism and Agnosticism Questions

Questions Further Reading

Glossary References Index End User License Agreement

← Prev
Back
Next →

← Prev
Back
Next →