Internalizing a Naturalistic Theory of Epistemic Justification
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CAUGHT IN THE WEB: INTERNALIZING A NATURALISTIC THEORY OF EPISTEMIC JUSTIFICATION By MATTHEW R. PIKE B.A., University of Colorado Denver, 2001 M.A., University of Colorado Boulder, 2007 A thesis submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the University of Colorado in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Philosophy 2017 This thesis entitled: Caught in the Web: Internalizing a Naturalistic Theory of Epistemic Justification written by Matthew R. Pike has been approved for the Department of Philosophy Robert Rupert, committee chair Michael Tooley, committee member Date The final copy of this thesis has been examined by the signatories, and we find that both the content and the form meet acceptable presentation standards of scholarly work in the above mentioned discipline. Pike, Matthew (Ph.D., Philosophy) Caught in the Web: Internalizing a Naturalistic Theory of Epistemic Justification Thesis directed by Professor Robert Rupert Most proponents of a naturalistic approach to epistemology seem to feel forced to endorse a process reliabilist theory of justification, ostensibly to forestall charges that their naturalistic views can yield only a descriptive account of belief that is devoid of normative force. This reliabilist approach to justification depends upon an externalist grounding, holding that belief-fixing and sustaining processes and procedures are reliable because they generally produce beliefs that are objectively true. This dissertation will explore some of the problems for the standard externalist approach that naturalists usually favor, and then show that, while the frequent conjoining of naturalist epistemology and process reliabilism found in the literature might lead one to believe that there are strong implications from epistemic naturalism to externalism, there is in fact a largely unexplored philosophical space that combines naturalized epistemology and justificatory internalism. A version of process reliabilism that is compatible with both naturalism and internalism will then be developed and defended from several potential objections. This theory of justification will demonstrate that internalism concerning epistemic justification is more compatible with naturalistic epistemological commitments than has previously been noted, and that many naturalists, perhaps having failed to fully consider this option, may have been too hasty in adopting externalist views of justification. iii For my beloved family, friends, and mentors— especially those that are all three. You provide meaning in this reality, whatever its nature may be... iv Contents Chapter 1: Introduction ................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Overview ............................................................................................................................... 2 1.2 Naturalism: Commitments and Methods .............................................................................. 7 1.3 Process Reliabilism as the Naturalist’s Standard ................................................................ 13 1.4 The Strengths of a Process Reliabilist Theory of Justification ........................................... 26 Chapter 2: Problems with the Process Reliabilist Approach ........................................................ 30 2.1 Standard Worries for Reliabilism ....................................................................................... 30 2.1.1 The New Evil Demon Problem .................................................................................... 31 2.1.2 Reliable Clairvoyance and Justificatory Defeat ........................................................... 35 2.1.3 The Generality Problem ............................................................................................... 37 2.1.4 Swamping/Value Problem ........................................................................................... 39 2.2 Skepticism Undefeated ....................................................................................................... 41 2.2.1 Arguments from Intent ................................................................................................. 43 2.2.2 Arguments from Probability ........................................................................................ 45 2.2.3 Arguments from Plausibility ........................................................................................ 58 2.2.4 A Realist Rebuttal? ...................................................................................................... 63 2.2.5 Skepticism’s Take Aways ............................................................................................ 64 v 2.3 Truth Deflationism and Epistemic Anti-Realism ............................................................... 66 2.4 Lacking Holism and Running Afoul of the Quine-Duhem Thesis ..................................... 73 2.5 Not Useful for Regulating Belief ........................................................................................ 75 2.6 JJ Principle .......................................................................................................................... 77 2.7 Conclusions ......................................................................................................................... 79 Chapter 3: Lessons Learned—Constraints on a Better Theory of Justification............................ 80 3.1 Internalist Theories of Justification .................................................................................... 80 3.2 Shifting to Subdoxastic Internalism .................................................................................... 81 3.3 Pragmatism / Pragmatically Constrained ............................................................................ 91 3.4 Conclusion .......................................................................................................................... 98 Chapter 4: Endo-Reliabilism ......................................................................................................... 99 4.1 Modeling Reliability ........................................................................................................... 99 4.2 An Endogenous Reconstruction ........................................................................................ 103 4.3 Process Endo-Reliabilism ................................................................................................. 106 4.3.1 Perception .................................................................................................................. 113 4.3.2 Memory ...................................................................................................................... 114 4.3.3 Introspection .............................................................................................................. 116 4.3.4 Reason/Inference........................................................................................................ 117 4.3.5 Testimony .................................................................................................................. 120 vi 4.3.6 Discussion .................................................................................................................. 120 4.4 Endo-Reliabilism at Subdoxastic Levels .......................................................................... 121 4.5 What About the Other Theoretical Virtues? ..................................................................... 128 Chapter 5: Defending Endo-Reliabilism ..................................................................................... 131 5.1 Objections Based on Intuitions ......................................................................................... 132 5.2 Objections Involving Coherence....................................................................................... 134 5.2.1 Simple Set of Beliefs as Most Coherent .................................................................... 134 5.2.2 Coherence Is Not a Guide to Truth ............................................................................ 135 5.2.3 Confusion of Epistemic and Prudential Justification ................................................. 136 5.2.4 Why Not Just Be a Foundationalist? .......................................................................... 137 5.2.5 Why Not Just Be a Coherentist? ................................................................................ 139 5.3 Objections Concerning Naturalism ................................................................................... 140 5.3.1 Incompatibility of an Internalist Framework with Naturalism .................................. 140 5.3.2 Epistemic Probability—Is Endo-Reliabilism Really Naturalist? ............................... 140 5.3.3 “I’m Still Not Sold on Naturalism” ........................................................................... 141 5.4 Cherniak and Computational Load ................................................................................... 144 5.5 Mental Content.................................................................................................................. 145 5.6 Normativity ....................................................................................................................... 147 6 Conclusions and Consequences ..............................................................................................