Synopses & Reviews
Few concepts have been considered as essential to the theory of knowledge and rational belief as that of evidence. The simplest theory which accounts for this is evidentialism, the view that epistemic justification for belief--the kind of justification typically taken to be required for knowledge--is determined solely by considerations pertaining to one's evidence. In this ground-breaking book, leading epistemologists from across the spectrum challenge and refine evidentialism, sometimes suggesting that it needs to be expanded in quite surprising directions. Following this, the twin pillars of contemporary evidentialism--Earl Conee and Richard Feldman--respond to each essay. This engaging debate covers a vast number of issues, and will illuminate and inform.
Review
"This volume represents a significant contribution to a number of ongoing discussions in contemporary epistemology."--Joseph Shieber, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews
About the Author
Trent Dougherty graduated from the University of Rochester, where he wrote a dissertation arguing against the notion that whether one knows depends on one's practical interests. He is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Baylor University, where he regularly teaches graduate seminars in epistemology, philosophy of language, and philosophy of religion. When not writing philosophy, he is usually riding a bike, often with his wife or one of his children.
Table of Contents
Introduction,
Trent DoughertyPart I. Evidentialism and Disagreement
1. Evidence and Agent-Centered Norms, Michael Huemer
2. The Rational Significance of Reflective Ascent, Jonathan Kvanvig
3. Evidentialism and the Paradox of Parity, Keith Lehrer
Part II. Virtue Critiques: Evidence and Inquiry
4. From Internalist Evidentialism to Virtue Responsibilism, Guy Axtell
5. Evidentialism, Vice, and Virtue, Jason Baehr
Part III. Evidentialism and Skepticism
6. Evidentialist Anti-skepticism, Matthias Steup
7. Evidentialism and the Great Pumpkin Objection, Michael Bergmann
Part IV. "Knowledge First"
8. Questioning Evidentialism, Keith DeRose
9. Improbable Knowing, Timothy Williamson
Part V. Internalism/Externalism
10. Evidentialism and Knowledge, John Greco
11. Evidentialism and Truth, Richard Fumerton
Part VI. Evidence
12. Evidence, Richard Swinburne
13. Making it Evident: Evidence and Evidentness, Justification and Belief, Patrick Rysiew
14. In Defense of Propositionalism about Evidence, Trent Dougherty
Part VII. New Syntheses
15. Evidentialism, Internalism, Disjunctivism, Duncan Pritchard
16. Toward a Synthesis of Reliabilism and Evidentialism?, Alvin Goldman
Part VIII. Replies
17. Replies, Earl Conee and Richard Feldman
Appendix A: Chart Summary of Arguments
Appendix B: Bibliography of Conee and Feldman
Index