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EPISTEMOLOGY and PHILOSOPHY of MIND HISTORICAL Historical Dictionaries of Religions, Philosophies, and Movements, No PHILOSOPHY • EPISTEMOLOGY AND PHILOSOPHY OF MIND HISTORICAL Historical Dictionaries of Religions, Philosophies, and Movements, No. 70 DICTIONARY OF BAERGEN Epistemology Epistemology is the branch of philosophy that investigates our beliefs, evidence, and claims of knowledge. It is one of the core areas of philosophy and is relevant to an DICTIONARY astonishingly broad range of issues and situations. Epistemological issues arise when HISTORICAL we recognize that there is a fact of the matter but we do not know what it is; when we wonder about the future, the past, or distant places; and when we seek answers in the sciences and even in our entertainment (for example, murder mysteries and comedies of misunderstanding). OF Epistemology Historical Dictionary of Epistemology provides an overview of this field of study and its theories, concepts, and personalities. It begins with a chronology of important events (from 385 BC to AD 2005) and is followed by an introduction, which gives a historical overview. The book contains more than 500 entries covering notable concepts, theo- ries, arguments, publications, issues, and philosophers and concludes with an exten- sive bibliography of historical and contemporary epistemological works. Students and those who want to acquaint themselves with epistemology will be greatly aided by this book. RALPH BAERGEN is a professor of philosophy at Idaho State University. For orders and information please contact the publisher SCARECROW PRESS, INC. A wholly owned subsidiary of ISBN-13: 978-0-8108-5518-2 The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc. ISBN-10: 0-8108-5518-6 4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200 Lanham, Maryland 20706 1-800-462-6420 • fax 717-794-3803 www.scarecrowpress.com RALPH BAERGEN HDEpistempologyLITH.indd 1 6/12/06 1:07:32 PM 06-236_01_Front.qxd 6/12/06 12:54 PM Page i HISTORICAL DICTIONARIES OF RELIGIONS, PHILOSOPHIES, AND MOVEMENTS Jon Woronoff, Series Editor 1. Buddhism, by Charles S. Prebish, 1993 2. Mormonism, by Davis Bitton, 1994. Out of print. See No. 32. 3. Ecumenical Christianity, by Ans Joachim van der Bent, 1994 4. Terrorism, by Sean Anderson and Stephen Sloan, 1995. Out of print. See No. 41. 5. Sikhism, by W. H. McLeod, 1995. Out of print. See No. 59. 6. Feminism, by Janet K. Boles and Diane Long Hoeveler, 1995. Out of print. See No. 52. 7. Olympic Movement, by Ian Buchanan and Bill Mallon, 1995. Out of print. See No. 39. 8. Methodism, by Charles Yrigoyen Jr. and Susan E. Warrick, 1996. Out of print. See No. 57. 9. Orthodox Church, by Michael Prokurat, Alexander Golitzin, and Michael D. Peterson, 1996 10. Organized Labor, by James C. Docherty, 1996. Out of print. See No. 50. 11. Civil Rights Movement, by Ralph E. Luker, 1997 12. Catholicism, by William J. Collinge, 1997 13. Hinduism, by Bruce M. Sullivan, 1997 14. North American Environmentalism, by Edward R. Wells and Alan M. Schwartz, 1997 15. Welfare State, by Bent Greve, 1998. Out of print. See No. 63. 16. Socialism, by James C. Docherty, 1997 17. Bahá’í Faith, by Hugh C. Adamson and Philip Hainsworth, 1998 18. Taoism, by Julian F. Pas in cooperation with Man Kam Leung, 1998 19. Judaism, by Norman Solomon, 1998. Out of print. See No. 69. 20. Green Movement, by Elim Papadakis, 1998 21. Nietzscheanism, by Carol Diethe, 1999 22. Gay Liberation Movement, by Ronald J. Hunt, 1999 23. Islamic Fundamentalist Movements in the Arab World, Iran, and Turkey, by Ahmad S. Moussalli, 1999 24. Reformed Churches, by Robert Benedetto, Darrell L. Guder, and Donald K. McKim, 1999 06-236_01_Front.qxd 6/12/06 12:54 PM Page ii 25. Baptists, by William H. Brackney, 1999 26. Cooperative Movement, by Jack Shaffer, 1999 27. Reformation and Counter-Reformation, by Hans J. Hillerbrand, 2000 28. Shakers, by Holley Gene Duffield, 2000 29. United States Political Parties, by Harold F. Bass Jr., 2000 30. Heidegger’s Philosophy, by Alfred Denker, 2000 31. Zionism, by Rafael Medoff and Chaim I. Waxman, 2000 32. Mormonism, 2nd ed., by Davis Bitton, 2000 33. Kierkegaard’s Philosophy, by Julia Watkin, 2001 34. Hegelian Philosophy, by John W. Burbidge, 2001 35. Lutheranism, by Günther Gassmann in cooperation with Duane H. Larson and Mark W. Oldenburg, 2001 36. Holiness Movement, by William Kostlevy, 2001 37. Islam, by Ludwig W. Adamec, 2001 38. Shinto, by Stuart D. B. Picken, 2002 39. Olympic Movement, 2nd ed., by Ian Buchanan and Bill Mallon, 2001. Out of print. See No. 61. 40. Slavery and Abolition, by Martin A. Klein, 2002 41. Terrorism, 2nd ed., by Sean Anderson and Stephen Sloan, 2002 42. New Religious Movements, by George D. Chryssides, 2001 43. Prophets in Islam and Judaism, by Scott B. Noegel and Brannon M. Wheeler, 2002 44. The Friends (Quakers), by Margery Post Abbott, Mary Ellen Chijioke, Pink Dandelion, and John William Oliver Jr., 2003 45. Lesbian Liberation Movement: Still the Rage, JoAnne Myers, 2003 46. Descartes and Cartesian Philosophy, by Roger Ariew, Dennis Des Chene, Douglas M. Jesseph, Tad M. Schmaltz, and Theo Verbeek, 2003 47. Witchcraft, by Michael D. Bailey, 2003 48. Unitarian Universalism, by Mark W. Harris, 2004 49. New Age Movements, by Michael York, 2004 50. Organized Labor, 2nd ed., by James C. Docherty, 2004 51. Utopianism, by James M. Morris and Andrea L. Kross, 2004 52. Feminism, 2nd ed., by Janet K. Boles and Diane Long Hoeveler, 2004 53. Jainism, by Kristi L. Wiley, 2004 06-236_01_Front.qxd 6/12/06 12:54 PM Page iii 54. Wittgenstein’s Philosophy, by Duncan Richter, 2004 55. Schopenhauer’s Philosophy, by David E. Cartwright, 2005 56. Seventh-day Adventists, by Gary Land, 2005 57. Methodism, 2nd ed., by Charles Yrigoyen Jr. and Susan Warrick, 2005 58. Sufism, by John Renard, 2005 59. Sikhism, 2nd ed., by W. H. McLeod, 2005 60. Kant and Kantianism, by Helmut Holzhey and Vilem Mudroch, 2005 61. Olympic Movement, 3rd ed., by Bill Mallon with Ian Buchanan, 2006 62. Anglicanism, by Colin Buchanan, 2006 63. Welfare State, 2nd ed., by Bent Greve, 2006 64. Feminist Philosophy, by Catherine Villanueva Gardner, 2006 65. Logic, by Harry J. Gensler, 2006 66. Leibniz’s Philosophy, by Stuart Brown and Nicholas J. Fox, 2006 67. Non-Aligned Movement and Third World, by Guy Arnold, 2006 68. Salvation Army, by Major John G. Merritt, 2006 69. Judaism, 2nd ed., by Norman Solomon, 2006 70. Epistemology, by Ralph Baergen, 2006 06-236_01_Front.qxd 6/12/06 12:54 PM Page iv 06-236_01_Front.qxd 6/12/06 12:54 PM Page v Historical Dictionary of Epistemology Ralph Baergen Historical Dictionaries of Religions, Philosophies, and Movements, No. 70 The Scarecrow Press, Inc. Lanham, Maryland • Toronto • Oxford 2006 06-236_01_Front.qxd 6/12/06 12:54 PM Page vi SCARECROW PRESS, INC. Published in the United States of America by Scarecrow Press, Inc. A wholly owned subsidiary of The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc. 4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, Maryland 20706 www.scarecrowpress.com PO Box 317 Oxford OX2 9RU, UK Copyright © 2006 by Ralph Baergen All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Information Available Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Baergen, Ralph. Historical dictionary of epistemology / Ralph Baergen. p. cm. — (Historical dictionaries of religions, philosophies, and movements ; no. 70) Includes bibliographical references. ISBN-13: 978-0-8108-5518-2 (hardcover : alk. paper) ISBN-10: 0-8108-5518-6 (hardcover : alk. paper) 1. Knowledge, Theory of—Dictionaries. I. Title. II. Series. BD150.B34 2006 121.03—dc22 2006003761 ϱ™ The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992. Manufactured in the United States of America. 06-236_01_Front.qxd 6/12/06 12:54 PM Page vii This volume is dedicated to my wonderful wife and my three darling children. I know that I love them. 06-236_01_Front.qxd 6/12/06 12:54 PM Page viii 06-236_01_Front.qxd 6/12/06 12:54 PM Page ix Contents Editor’s Foreword Jon Woronoff xi Acknowledgments xiii Chronology xv Introduction xxiii The Dictionary 1 Bibliography 221 About the Author 257 ix 06-236_01_Front.qxd 6/12/06 12:54 PM Page x 06-236_01_Front.qxd 6/12/06 12:54 PM Page xi Editor’s Foreword Epistemology, or the theory of knowledge, lies at the root of philosophy and all the arts and sciences and is therefore a constant preoccupation. Like everything else, it has enjoyed periods of greater and lesser pres- tige, intensely absorbing the Greek philosophers, and dominating much of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries; it has also concerned many more recent philosophers. It has also been studied beyond the Western tradition, in Asia and the Middle East. Yet, for all this activity, while epistemology has evolved and become immensely richer, it has failed to reach any final conclusions, and the range of views stretches from those who insist on certain points to those who remain fiercely skeptical. This is perhaps to the good since the existing range of beliefs—and even sup- posed facts—is still so broad that we obviously could not agree yet on what knowledge is, how to attain it, and how to confirm it. But we can continue seeking. Historical Dictionary of Epistemology traces this long quest, starting with the ancients and coming up to the present. This is done first in a chronology and then the introduction, which describes the progression more analytically. It also tells us more about what epistemology is and why it is so difficult to agree on.
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