Classics of Analytic Philosophy First Year Seminar Princeton University Fall 2008
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Socrates and the Theaetetus
THE ORIGIN OF THE ‘GETTIER’ PROBLEM: SOCRATES AND THE THEAETETUS Michael JENKINS ABSTRACT: This article discusses the origin of what has become known as the Gettier Problem. It examines the claim put forward, though not expounded or defended, by J. Angelo Corlett in Analyzing Social Knowledge that the basis for Edmund Gettier’s article “Is Justified True Belief Knowledge?” was originally argued for in Plato’s Theaetetus. In his article, Gettier argues that the Justified True Belief condition is not sufficient for knowledge. However, Corlett questions the originality of this argument. This article examines Gettier’s article followed by the Theatetus. After which, the two articles are compared, and the claim is shown to be correct in accusing Gettier of failing consider the full work of the Theaetetus. Socrates also argued that the Justified True Belief condition was not sufficient for knowledge. However, this article concludes by arguing that Socrates went further with his examination than Gettier did. Socrates not only put forward the claim that this condition was insufficient for knowledge, he also tried to supply answers to the problem. KEYWORDS: Gettier, Theaetetus, epistemology, Socrates, coherentism, justification 1. Introduction In Analyzing Social Knowledge, J. Angelo Corlett states that Edmund L. Gettier, in his infamous article “Is Justified True Belief Knowledge?”1 seems to merely reiterate what Socrates (in Plato’s Theaetetus) already articulates: that “simple justified true belief is insufficient for knowledge.”2 In this article, I will argue that Corlett’s statement is correct. I will argue that it originated not with Gettier, but at least as far back into the writing of western philosophy as Socrates. -
Some Reflections on Gettier's Problem
Some Reflections on Gettier’s Problem Golam Azam * It is one of the basic problems of epistemology to define knowledge. Epistemology is one of the branches of philosophy that discusses about the definition, sources, validity and limitations of knowledge. From Socrates to till date this problem is being discussed by most of the eminent philosophers; ancient, medieval, modern or contemporary- eastern or western- Indian, Muslim, Chinese or Buddhist philosophers. Why knowledge is important, what the criterion of truth is, are also the basic issues of discussion of the philosophers of the ages. E. Gettier, an American epistemologist, published a paper of only three pages entitled “Is Justified True Belief Knowledge?” in 1963 where he challenged the age-old definition of knowledge. Traditionally knowledge is defined as ‘justified true belief’. Gettier showed that these three conditions are not enough for the definition of knowledge. In this paper, Gettier’s conception regarding the definition of knowledge will be analyzed and in this connection the reaction of the contemporary epistemologists will also be interpreted and analyzed. It will be showed that now a day the fundamental problem of knowledge is not to define ‘knowledge’ rather the problem is mainly regarding the justification of the statement of knowledge. I Before the publication of Gettier's paper knowledge was widely defined as justified true belief. It is the pre-Gettier definition of knowledge. After the publication of Gettier’s paper the term ‘Gettier problem’ has become well known to the contemporary philosophers. Gettier problems or cases are named in honor of the American philosopher Edmund Gettier. -
An Ontological Objection to the Causal Theory of Action
University of Tennessee, Knoxville TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 8-2018 Actions Are Not Events: An Ontological Objection to the Causal Theory of Action Jiajun Hu University of Tennessee, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss Recommended Citation Hu, Jiajun, "Actions Are Not Events: An Ontological Objection to the Causal Theory of Action. " PhD diss., University of Tennessee, 2018. https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss/5008 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized administrator of TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. For more information, please contact [email protected]. To the Graduate Council: I am submitting herewith a dissertation written by Jiajun Hu entitled "Actions Are Not Events: An Ontological Objection to the Causal Theory of Action." I have examined the final electronic copy of this dissertation for form and content and recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfillment of the equirr ements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, with a major in Philosophy. David W. Palmer, Major Professor We have read this dissertation and recommend its acceptance: Richard E. Aquila, Eldon F. Coffman Jr., Bruce J. MacLennan Accepted for the Council: Dixie L. Thompson Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School (Original signatures are on file with official studentecor r ds.) Actions Are Not Events: An Ontological Objection to the Causal Theory of Action A Dissertation Presented for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree The University of Tennessee, Knoxville Jiajun Hu August 2018 Copyright © 2018 by Jiajun Hu. -
Goldman and Siegel on the Epistemic Aims of Education
Goldman and Siegel on the epistemic aims of education Alessia Marabini & Luca Moretti [email protected] [email protected] First Draft (April 25, 2018) ABSTRACT Philosophers have claimed that education aims at fostering disparate epistemic goals––for instance: knowledge, true belief, understanding, epistemic character, critical thinking. In this paper we focus on an important segment of the debate involving conversation between Alvin Goldman and Harvey Siegel. Goldman claims that education is essentially aimed at producing true beliefs. Siegel contends that education is essentially aimed at fostering both true beliefs and, independently, rational beliefs. We summarize and criticize the arguments from both sides. We find Siegel’s position intuitively more plausible than Goldman’s, but we also find Siege’s defence of it wanting. We suggest a novel argumentative strategy on Siegel’s behalf that goes from general epistemology to epistemology of education. (shrink) KEYWORDS: epistemic aims of education, epistemic aims, epistemic rationality, critical thinking, testimony, deontological justification, Alvin Goldman, Harvey Siegel 1. What we do in the paper The debate on the epistemic aims or goals of education is very hot and on-going. Philosophers have claimed that education aims at fostering disparate epistemic goals––for instance: knowledge, true belief, understanding, epistemic character, critical thinking (for an introduction see Carter and Kotzee 2015: §6). In this paper we focus on an important segment of the debate involving conversation between Alvin Goldman and Harvey Siegel. Goldman claims that education is essentially aimed at producing true beliefs. Siegel contends that education is essentially aimed at fostering both true beliefs and, independently, rational beliefs. -
Truth Analysis of the Gettier Argument
TRUTH ANALYSIS OF THE GETTIER ARGUMENT YUSSIF YAKUBU Published in: METAPHILOSOPHY Vol. 47, No. 3, July 2016, 449-466 Abstract: Gettier (1963) presented the now famous Gettier problem as a challenge to epistemology. The methods Gettier used to construct his challenge, however, utilized certain principles of formal logic that are actually inappropriate for the natural language discourse of the Gettier cases. In that challenge to epistemology, Gettier also makes truth claims that would be considered controversial in analytic philosophy of language. The Gettier challenge has escaped scrutiny in these other relevant academic disciplines, however, because of its fac¸adeas an epistemological analysis. This article examines Gettiers methods with the analytical tools of logic and analytic philosophy of language. Keywords: definite description, Russellian quantification, Edmund Gettier, referents and truth, classical logic. Introduction Gettier cases are hypothetical scenarios that purport to demonstrate, contrary to the standard epistemological view, that justified true belief (JTB) is not a sufficient condition for knowledge. In a typical Gettier- type case, a premise that “justifiably” leads an agent to a belief turns out to be false, but the belief the agent derives turns out “by coinci- dence to be true.” The believing agent in question is thus deemed to have a true belief that is justifiably reached, and he therefore, while satisfying the conditions for knowledge, nevertheless does not have knowledge, because the premise upon which he formed his belief is false. Epistemologists have generally taken Gettiers arguments against JTB to be successful, and have been trying, for the five decades since Gettiers paper, to come up with a definition or conception of knowl- edge that would not be undermined by the Gettier-challenge (Zagzeb- ski 1994; Shope 2002, 33; Sosa 2007; see also Kvanvig 2011, 29). -
Epistemic Divergence and the Publicity of Scientific Methods
Stud. Hist. Phil. Sci. 34 (2003) 597–612 www.elsevier.com/locate/shpsa Epistemic divergence and the publicity of scientific methods Gualtiero Piccinini Department of Philosophy, Washington University, Campus Box 1073, One Brookings Dr., St Louis, MO 63130-4899, USA Received 20 May 2002; received in revised form 24 November 2002 Abstract Epistemic divergence occurs when different investigators give different answers to the same question using evidence-collecting methods that are not public. Without following the principle that scientific methods must be public, scientific communities risk epistemic divergence. I explicate the notion of public method and argue that, to avoid the risk of epistemic divergence, scientific communities should (and do) apply only methods that are public. 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Epistemic divergence; Public method; Intersubjective test; Reliabilism; Method of possible cases The activities of the sciences that are taught are things that can be seen and there is none that is not visible in one form or another. Hippocrates1 1. Introduction Scientific statements must be intersubjectively testable. If evidence for a statement cannot be obtained by different investigators, then neither the evidence nor the state- ment are scientific. Classical defenses of this principle have been given by Herbert E-mail address: [email protected] (G. Piccinini). 1 In The Science of Medicine, anciently attributed to Hippocrates. 0039-3681/$ - see front matter 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/S0039-3681(03)00049-9 598 G. Piccinini / Stud. Hist. Phil. Sci. 34 (2003) 597–612 Feigl (1953, p. 11), Carl Hempel (1952, p. 22), Immanuel Kant (1965, p. -
THE UNIVERSITY of WESTERN ONTARIO DEPARTMENT of PHILOSOPHY Graduate Course Outline 2016-17
THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN ONTARIO DEPARTMENT OF PHILOSOPHY Graduate Course Outline 2016-17 Philosophy 9653A: Proseminar Fall Term 2016 Instructor: Robert J. Stainton Class Days and Hours: W 2:30-5:30 Office: StH 3126 Office Hours: Tu 2:00-3:00 Classroom: TBA Phone: 519-661-2111 ext. 82757 Web Site: Email: [email protected] http://publish.uwo.ca/~rstainto/ Blog: https://robstainton.wordpress.com/ DESCRIPTION A survey of foundational and highly influential texts in Analytic Philosophy. Emphasis will be on four sub-topics, namely Language and Philosophical Logic, Methodology, Ethics and Epistemology. Thematically, the focal point across all sub-topics will be the tools and techniques highlighted in these texts, which reappear across Analytic philosophy. REQUIRED TEXT A.P. Martinich and David Sosa (eds.)(2011) Analytic Philosophy: An Anthology. 2nd Edition. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell. [All papers except the Stine and Thomson are reprinted here.] OBJECTIVES The twin objectives are honing of philosophical skills and enriching students’ familiarity with some “touchstone” material in 20th Century Analytic philosophy. In terms of skills, the emphasis will be on: professional-level philosophical writing; close reading of notoriously challenging texts; metaphilosophical reflection; and respectful philosophical dialogue. COURSE REQUIREMENTS Twelve weekly “Briefing Notes” on Selected Readings: 60% Three “Revised Brief Notes”: 25% Class Participation: 15% COURSE READINGS Language and Philosophical Logic Gottlob Frege (1892), “On Sense and Reference” Gottlob Frege (1918), “The Thought” Bertrand Russell (1905), “On Denoting” Ludwig Wittgenstein (1933-35 [1958]), Excerpts from The Blue and Brown Books Peter F. Strawson (1950), “On Referring” H. Paul Grice (1957), “Meaning” H. Paul Grice (1975), “Logic and Conversation” Saul Kripke (1971), “Identity and Necessity” Hilary Putnam (1973), “Meaning and Reference” Methodology A.J. -
Knowledge and Its Limits Professor Wesley Holliday MWF 10-11 UC Berkeley, Spring 2013 101 Barker
PHIL 4 - Knowledge and Its Limits Professor Wesley Holliday MWF 10-11 UC Berkeley, Spring 2013 101 Barker Syllabus Description In this course, we will investigate questions about the nature and limits of knowledge: Is knowledge compatible with the possibility of human error? Is the structure of our knowledge like a building that rests on a foundation or like a web held together by its connections? What are the requirements for knowledge? Can one know by accident? How can we acquire knowledge and avoid misinformation from others? Whom can we trust? Prerequisites There are no official prerequisites for this course. Success in the course will require the patience to carefully read, re-read, and think about difficult philosophical texts, as well as the willingness to work on developing your skills for clear and rigorous analytical writing. Readings There is a reader for the course sold by Copy Central. Versions of most readings are hyperlinked from this syllabus or bSpace, but the official versions are in the reader. Requirements { Section participation (including Piazza) and quizzes (10% of grade) { In-class exam on February 22 (15% of grade) { 3-5 page paper due on bSpace by March 17, 5pm (20% of grade) { 3-5 page paper due on bSpace by April 14, 5pm (25% of grade) { In-class final exam on May 14, 3-6pm (30% of grade) In-class participation will be taken into account in cases of borderline grades. (CDC recommendation: if you are sick, stay home until 24 hours after symptoms stop.) Sections All enrolled students must attend a weekly discussion section. -
REVIEW ARTICLE on the Philosophical
REVIEW ARTICLE On the philosophical applications of Cognitive Science Alvin Goldman (ed), Readings in Philosophy and Cognitive Science. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 1993. Goldman collected thirty-eight papers in Philosophy and in Cognitive Science that are of interest to people from both disciplines. In the following I describe the motivation behind Readings in Philosophy and Cognitive Science (henceforth RPCS), and review its structure. I also point to recent selections, probably less familiar to the potential reader, but certainly worth noticing. I then discuss the bounds of the philosophical applications of Cognitive Science. 1. General overview The very first reaction to RPCS is to wonder why we need another anthology for the philosophy of cognitive science. RPCS, however, is different from Block (1980), Lycan (1990) and many other anthologies. Unlike the others, whose focus is the so-called philosophical foundations of cognitive science, RPCS focuses on the applications of cognitive science to philosophy. As such, most of the papers in RPCS make explicit the connection between empirical findings and significant philosophical theses. Another distinctive feature of RPCS is that half of the papers in it were written by cognitive scientists. These essays describe important empirical work in social psychology, developmental psychology, computational linguistics, artificial intelligence, decision-making theory, vision and neuroscience. Some of the papers, such as Chomsky’s "On the Nature, Use, and Acquisition of Language", and Tversky and Kahneman's "Probabilistic Reasoning" are already very familiar to philosophers and have had their impact on the philosophical literature. Many other papers report or summarize more recent empirical findings. An explicit goal of Goldman in RPCS is to show “how cognitive science bears on most of the major branches in philosophy” (p. -
REP Knowledge
Knowledge, Concept of Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy Michael Hannon University of Nottingham Keywords: knowledge; ignorance; justification; scepticism Article Summary The word ‘know’ is exceptional for a number of reasons. It is one of the 10 most commonly used verbs in English, alongside basic verbs like ‘be,’ ‘do,’ ‘say,’ ‘have,’ and ‘go.’ It is also the most frequently used term in epistemic evaluation: we speak of ‘knowing’ far more often than we speak of ‘justification,’ ‘reliability,’ ‘understanding,’ ‘wisdom,’ and other intellectual traits or epistemic properties. Perhaps most strikingly, the word ‘know’ allegedly has a meaning-equivalent in every human language. Unlike almost every other word in English, linguists have identified ‘know’ as one of a very small number of words that are culturally universal (Goddard 2010). These facts suggest that knowledge is deeply important to human life. Knowledge has also held a central place in epistemology. Indeed, the word ‘epistemology’ comes from the Greek word epistêmê, which is often translated as ‘knowledge.’ This is not to say that epistemologists are only interested in knowledge. They also investigate epistemic virtues like open- mindedness and intellectual humility, as well as properties of belief like being rational and justified (among many other things). Still, the enterprise of epistemology has largely been an investigation into the nature, significance, sources, and extent of human knowledge. But what is knowledge? Why do we value it? How is it acquired? And how much of it do we have? In the late 20th century, one of the central questions asked by epistemologists was: When does a true belief count as knowledge? It was widely assumed that knowledge is a form of true belief plus some additional requirement(s), such as justification or reliability. -
ATS1835) Introduc On to Philosophy B Semester 2, 2017 Dr Ron Gallagher [email protected] Week 10 (1 Le ): Knowledge (Epistemology) & Scep Cism
Time, Self and Mind (ATS1835) Introduc;on to Philosophy B Semester 2, 2017 Dr Ron Gallagher [email protected] Week 10 (1 le): Knowledge (Epistemology) & Scep;cism What is knowledge? What is jus3fed true belief? What is scepcism? What is doubt? What is jusficaon? Can any knowledge be jus3fied? Can ordinarily accepted statements be jusfied? Radical doubt is nonsensical, selec3ve doubt needs grounds for doubt. Week Beginning Topic Assessment Readings W1 24-Jul Time - Introduction and Time Travel 1.1 & 1.2 Time Travel; Freedom, Determinism, and W2 31-Jul Indeterminism 1.5 & 1.6 Short Answer 1 - W3 07-Aug Logic Primer August 10th 2.1 – 2.2 Mind- Dualism versus Materialism about W4 14-Aug the Mind 3.1 - 3.2 Mind - Can Machines Think? W5 21-Aug Computationalism and the Turing Test 3.3 Mind - Can Machines Think? Objections to Short Answer 2 - 3.4 W6 28-Aug Computationalism Aug 31st Self - Lockean Psychological Theory and W7 04-Sep Identity 4.1 – 4.3 W8 11-Sep Self - Identity, the Body & Person Stages 4.4 – 4.5 Knowledge What is Knowledge and Short Answer 3 – W9 18-Sep Gettier's Account Sep 21st 5.1 – 5.2 25-Sep Mid-semester break Knowledge - Nozick's Account and 5.3 – 5.4 W10 02-Oct Scepticism Essay - October 5.5 W11 09-Oct Knowledge - The Moorean Response 12th W12 16-Oct Revision (no lectures, no tutorials) Assessment Due Date Assessment Task Value Mondays 10am Reading Quizzes (10) 5% (bonus) Thu Aug 10th AT1.1 (@600 words) 10% Thu Aug 31st AT1.2 (@600 words) 10% Thu Sep 21st AT1.3 (@600 words) 10% Thu Oct 12th AT2 Essay (@1250 words) 30% -
1 Gettier in Edmund Gettier's Essay, “Is Justified True Belief Knowledge
Gettier In Edmund Gettier’s essay, “Is Justified True Belief Knowledge,” Gettier argues that JTB (Plato’s theory of Justified True Belief) does not necessarily guarantee knowledge. This means that the necessary but not the sufficient conditions for “S knows P” to be true have been met. What follows is a discussion of necessary and sufficient conditions, the conditions that satisfy JTB, and Gettier’s reasoning of why JTB does not necessarily guarantee knowledge. A necessary condition for some state of affairs P is a condition that must be satisfied in order for P to obtain. For example, what are the necessary conditions (P) that must be satisfied in order for some student (S) to pass a course at some college or university? Let’s say that those necessary conditions for S to pass are: (1) S must submit all of their assignments, and (2) take all of the exams and quizzes. However, submitting all of the assignments and taking all of the exams and quizzes will not guarantee that S will obtain P (pass the course). So how can S guarantee that they will pass the course? The conditions that will guarantee that’s S will pass the course are referred to as sufficient conditions. A sufficient condition for some state of affairs P is a condition that, if satisfied guarantees that P obtains. For example, the sufficient conditions for P are: (1) S must get a passing grade on all assignments, and (2) pass all of exams and quizzes. If these conditions are satisfied, this guarantees that S will pass the course.