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Home , Philosophical skepticism

Membership Matters. This publication is paid for in part by dues-paying members of the Indiana University Alumni Association.

Volume XXI College of Arts & Sciences Alumni Association Fall 2006

Philosophical and the From the chair coherence of our epistemic practices Transitions s I type this article, do I know that [Editor’s note: Tim O’Connor has there is a table before me? Com- just begun a term as chair of the IU Amon sense declares that I do, but Department of . He suc- philosophical reflection can quickly lead to ceeds Mark Kaplan.] the conclusion that is incor- The face of philosophy at IU rect: no one can know or reasonably believe continues to undergo a period of anything about the world around us. This major transition. My colleagues prob- is the problem of . ably stumbled a bit in drafting me It is a kind of paradox. The arguments that to a three-year term as department generate it are not silly or easily refuted. chair, beginning this past summer. But they challenge the most basic aspiration But on the bright side, IU scored a of our intellectual lives. major coup by luring Gary Ebbs away In my recent work, I’ve tried to put from Illinois. (Gary is a specialist in skepticism to rest by reflecting on our and and ordinary ways of justifying and evaluating in .) Gary surrendered beliefs about the world. This is a neglected to the inevitable after we had already approach. have tradition- hired away his colleagues Marcia ally created elaborate a priori theories to Baron, Fred Schmitt, Kate Abramson Margaret R. Clark safeguard the possibility of . and then snatched up two stellar phi- (Descartes, for instance, attempted to prove Professor Adam Leite studies the of the department’s mail boxes. losophers that God’s and benevolence in order to Illinois had underwrite our entitlement to rely on our the extent to which these claims are correct, tried to hire as so-called “clear and distinct .”) we can gain insight into the relationship replacements, Such approaches aspire to stand outside our between traditional epistemology and our Mark Kaplan ordinary lives and provide them with an ordinary lives, an issue that should trouble and Joan external, philosophical underpinning: a “first philosophers more than it generally does. Weiner. I know philosophy.” By contrast, a mid–20th-cen- It is tempting to think that knowledge this might tury tradition including G.E. Moore, J.L. requires that “rules out” all pos- look bad, even Austin, the later Wittgenstein, and W.V.O. sibilities of error. (If you recognize you cruel, but we Tim O’Connor Quine proposed another route: to overcome could be in error, the thought goes, how didn’t set out philosophical skepticism from within our can you also claim to have knowledge?) to empty their ranks (honestly). And ordinary epistemic practices. This approach This thought gives rise to one standard it certainly had nothing to do with has been neglected in recent years. I aim to argument for skepticism: we can never payback for all their comparative suc- put it back on the mainstream agenda. attain infallible evidence, so we can’t ever cess in basketball in recent years, as I suggest that we should confront the have knowledge. An easy response to this some have alleged. Still, it’s probably arguments for skepticism in exactly the way argument is that we do not insist upon best for IU philosophy alumni to keep we would confront any other surprising completely infallible evidence in ordinary a low profile these days when visiting claim, by asking, “Why — if at all — should life or in science. It is often suggested that Urbana’s flat fine campus. I believe this?” Starting from where we this does not defeat the skeptic’s argument To understand the emerging face are, I ask, “Can I reasonably be brought to because our ordinary ways of talking about of IU philosophy, take a gander at think that I cannot know or even - knowledge are misleading: they are shaped our remodeled department Web ably believe that there is a table before me by the practical demands of everyday life, site: www.indiana.edu/~phil/. We now?” I believe that the answer is, “No. You and so we don’t recognize that knowledge have coverage in all major areas of can’t get there from here.” What’s more, I requires until philosophical the discipline while boasting notable believe that we cannot generate a reason- reflection leads us to ignore our everyday strengths in epistemology, early able demand for independent validation of concerns. However, this view of our ordi- , , and the our practices from within the framework of nary lives is wrong, as I’ve argued in “Is (continued on back page) our ordinary epistemic lives. By exploring (continued on page 2) Skepticism (continued from page 1) Faculty update: Nino Cocchiarella Fallibility an Epistemological Shortcom- n November 2005, Professor Emeritus Nino B. Cocchiarella delivered a paper, ing?” (2004). We are, consequently, free I“Infinity in and Mind,” at an international interdisciplinary conference to insist, in accordance with our ordinary on infinity at the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome, Italy. The conference was practices, that the fallibility of our evidence supported in part by the John Tempelton Foundation for a multiple-year project on does not prevent us from having knowl- Science, Theology and the Ontological Quest. Cocchiarella had also given an inten- edge. We thus have good reason to reject sive course in the previous year at the Lateran University on formal ontology under this skeptical argument. the STOQ project, and his paper was an extension of that course. A second skeptical argument, known After the conference on infinity in Rome, Cocchiarella delivered a lecture on as the “problem of the regress,” runs as potential infinity at the classical liceo in Benevento, the capital of the province of follows. To be justified, you must be able Benevento, Italy. In the previous year, Cocchiarella had been presented with a to provide a good reason for your , Gladiatore D’Oro (Golden Gladiator) award as a distinguished sanniti for his work a good reason for believing that reason, in logic, formal ontology, and philosophy. The sanniti are a people who have lived in and so on. But then it seems that you can the south-central part of Italy, called the Sannio, for the past 3,000 years. never justify any belief. To refuse to provide Cocchiarella has completed a forthcoming book, Formal Ontology and Conceptual at any point would be arbitrary and Realism, based on his lectures in Rome. Also forthcoming by Cocchiarella, together dogmatic. To repeat yourself is to argue in a with Max Freund — who wrote his PhD thesis under Cocchiarella here at IU and circle. And, of course, you can’t offer an in- who is now a professor at the University of Costa Rica — is a textbook, Modal Logic: finite series of reasons for your beliefs. In “A An Introduction to its Syntax and Semantics, based on Cocchiarella’s lectures on Localist Solution to the Regress of Justifica- modal logic here at IU and covers his work on second-order modal logic, both pos- tion” (2005), I develop a new response to sibilist and actualist, as well as standard sentential and first-order modal logic. this puzzle. I draw on our actual practices to show that no vicious regress results from ac- cepting (1) that in order to be justified, you tech age, that you are subjected to there from here.” We have inoculated have to be able to provide a good reason for deceptive sensory stimulations by a crazed ourselves from the threat of skepticism. your belief, and (2) that you must be justi- neuroscientist). It seems that you can’t know For more details about my current and fied in believing whatever you might offer or reasonably believe that there is a piece of upcoming projects, as well as copies of as your reason. To be justified, I propose, paper before you unless you have reason to the papers referred to in this article, see is to possess a certain ability: the ability believe that these possibilities are not the my Web page — http://mypage.iu.edu/ to draw upon your background beliefs to case. But it also seems that you can’t know %7Ealeite/. Whatever you do for a living, provide good reasons for holding the belief that you aren’t being deceived in these ways! happy philosophizing! in question, ultimately by providing reasons Any evidence you might appeal to could — Adam Leite that you recognize there to be no reason to itself be the product of a or of the Associate Professor of Philosophy . This is an ability that we can possess. neuroscientist’s machinations. So it seems Even if all this right, you might still that there is nothing you could appeal to in feel dissatisfied. You might also want an support of the belief that you aren’t being independent or external validation of our deceived. It consequently seems that you practices, an argument that shows how and can’t know or reasonably believe anything why they enable us to arrive at knowledge. about the world around you. But that can’t This newsletter is published by the Indiana University Alumni Association, This demand can take several forms. One be right. What has gone wrong? in cooperation with the Department of prominent form is the attempt (initiated One common response is to say that you Philosophy and the College of Arts and by Descartes’ Meditations) to explain our can know there is a piece of paper before Sciences Alumni Association, to encourage knowledge of the world without presuppos- you even if you don’t have any reason to alumni interest in and support for Indiana ing any claims about the world. It is argu- believe that you are not dreaming. This University. For activities and membership able that once you take up the standpoint response strikes me as incredible. How can information, call (800) 824-3044 or send involved in this project, it becomes impossi- I know that there is a piece of paper before e-mail to [email protected]. ble to see how we could have knowledge of me if I don’t even have reason to believe Department of Philosophy the world. In “Epistemological Externalism that I am not just dreaming? A more satisfy- Chair...... Tim O’Connor and the Project of Traditional Epistemol- ing response would explain how we can Editor...... Linda Harl ogy” (2006), I argue that the problem lies know that we aren’t dreaming. After all, our College of Arts & Sciences with the project. Given certain plausible natural response is to say, “Of course I have assumptions about knowledge and reasons reason to believe that I am not asleep and Interim Dean...... David Zaret for belief, we can have knowledge and dreaming; this is nothing like a dream!” Executive Director of Development & Alumni Programs...... David Ellies reasonable beliefs about the world even if It turns out that this form of skepti- we cannot explain, from Descartes’ artificial cism depends upon empirical premises IU Alumni Association standpoint, how this is possible. So why about that we have good reason to President/CEO...... Ken Beckley engage in this project at all? reject. Turning this insight into a satisfying Director of Alumni Taken together, the above arguments response requires showing that it’s not ut- Programs...... Nicki Bland provide the basic support for my claim that terly question-begging to appeal to empirical Editor for Constituent “you can’t get there from here.” However, premises in this context. This is a tricky mat- Periodicals...... Julie Dales Assistant Editor...... Abby Tonsing an important skeptical argument remains. ter, since the skeptical argument purports Consider the possibility that you are just to call into question all our knowledge of dreaming that there is a piece of paper empirical . But if it can be pulled off, before you (or, in keeping with our high- then there really won’t be any way “to get 2 Alumni spotlight John Green Musselman, PhD’00: A long and winding road For the last four years, I worked in the for an IUB HPS PhD, I took a year away to discuss placing course evaluations online Center for Teaching Excellence at St. from the classroom to finish my degree. and reviewing applications for in-house Edward’s University in Austin, Texas. St. But after teaching as an adjunct and then scholarly grants and teaching awards; and Edward’s is a Catholic liberal-arts col- as a visitor at Southwestern, I really didn’t reading faculty applications for NEH sum- lege with traditional residential students, know what to do next. After all, Elizabeth mer grants and Fulbrights as well as writing a “New College” undergraduate program was very happy at Southwestern and we part of our (eventually successful) McNair for working adults, and MA programs in had already tried living apart when she had Scholars Program grant. At first, I was con- business, computer-information systems, a postdoctoral position at the University cerned that I hadn’t trained for this job in counseling, human services, liberal arts, of Oklahoma and I was in western Massa- any formal way, and it certainly wasn’t clear project management, and teaching. When chusetts — and I really wasn’t interested in philosophy would be very helpful, either. I first started at St. Edward’s in a teach- trying that again. In short order, I was glad to learn that I ing center, I wasn’t sure how a degree in In 2002, Elizabeth suggested I look at was wrong. It turned out that while observ- philosophy would be useful. However, it the CTE at St. Edward’s because they were ing a class in accounting, I could discern turned out that philosophy was the key that hiring something called a faculty develop- that the main unstated premise to the unlocked a lot of doors. ment associate. I really didn’t know what course was “to provide accurate informa- I got to St. Edward’s following a long that was, nor what a teaching center did, tion to make useful financial decisions,” and winding road from Indiana University but St. Edward’s looked great online, and and suggesting that the instructor organize Bloomington through New England and I applied. Within a week I was hired as the her class around that stated premise helped on to Texas. Elizabeth and I had moved assistant to the CTE director, and, shortly focus her lectures. Likewise, serving on from western Massachusetts to Texas in after that, I started as an adjunct instructor committees to place course evaluations on- 1999 so she could start a tenure-track in the Philosophy Department. line required analyzing arguments against job at a small liberal-arts college north of For those (like me back then) who don’t the change from paper to online forms and Austin, Southwestern University, and so know much about teaching centers, they presenting counter-arguments that could I could finish my degree. Before moving, provide private and confidential one-on- convince collegiate colleagues that the risk I had a tenure-track job in a great com- one pedagogical consultations and any could be worth the reward. (In fact, at fac- munity college in western Massachusetts, other faculty development instructors need. ulty development conferences for teaching- but the teaching load wasn’t helping me From my first day at work, I was observing center peers, I was able to present the case finish. After we moved to Texas so Eliza- faculty in every discipline as they lectured in such a clear and compelling fashion that beth could start a faculty job nearly perfect and ran discussions; serving on committees (continued on back page)

Alumni news

ric C. Barnes, MA’89, PhD’90, an John Fisher Gray, BA’84, is working Andrew U.D. Straw, BA’92, MS’95, Eassociate professor at Southern Meth- in Brussels as the head of human resources JD’97, is a research assistant in the educa- odist University in Dallas, writes, “Just for Basell Polyolefins Europe and Basell’s tion faculty of the University of Otago in finished writing my first book; now I’ll try global Advanced Polyolefins business. His Dunedin, New Zealand. He researches and to get it published. Wish me luck!” son attends a Flemish school for children writes on critical literacy from a post-struc- Tyler Bond, BA’05, is working on his with autism and other developmental dis- turalist perspective. He has two children, master’s degree at Fordham University in abilities. His daughters attend the Inter- Ava and Manu, with his wife, Paola Voci, New York City. He is studying elections national School of Brussels. They are all MA’97, PhD’02. and campaign management. He worked as enjoying life in Europe. Gray and his wife Hans-Joerg Tiede, Cert/MS/PhD’99, administrative assistant in the membership were founding members several years ago writes, “I was granted tenure in the De- department of the IUAA from September of the Autism Society of Delaware, and partment of Mathematics and Computer 2005 to July. they continue their support from abroad. Science and promoted to associate profes- Daniel J. Boucher, BA’86, MA’89, was Summer Johnson, BA’03, lives in sor of computer science at Illinois Wesleyan recently tenured and promoted to associate Baltimore and is working on a doctorate in University in Bloomington, Ill. I live with professor in the Asian studies department bioethics and health policy at Johns Hop- my wife, Moreena (Bond), MA’98, and at Cornell University. In 2005, he reported kins University. our daughters, Annika and Franciska, in that he was working on a book manuscript Ziaaddin Mollabashy, BA’93, joined the Normal, Ill. My most recent publication, that he planned to submit to the University Indianapolis office of Barnes& Thornburg a survey of applications of modal logic in of Hawaii Press, titled “Bodhisattvas of the as an associate staff attorney in the business, linguistics, is to appear in the Handbook of Forest and the Formation of the Mahayana: tax, and real estate department. His address Modal Logic. The chapter was co-authored A Study and Translation of the Restrapala- is [email protected]. with my IU PhD adviser, Larry Moss.” paripriccha-sutra.” Aimee B. Dawson, BA’03, reports that Visit IUAlumniCareers.com, the IU Alumni Association’s online career services she is pursuing a master’s in public policy at center. Search for jobs posted by employers, post your résumé for review by the University of Chicago and is setting her employers, or search for an alumni mentor for career advice. career sights on public-sector consulting.

3 From the chair Nonprofit Org. Postage (continued from page 1) PAID . And we’re not done Indiana University yet. With one offer out for a senior-level Alumni Association appointment and a similar search now under way, we hope to have two outstand- ing new scholar-teachers in our program soon. And as time’s tooth will soon bring us a few retirements, the rebuilding process will continue throughout my tenure. I’ve got big shoes to fill in trying to match the exceptional leadership shown by Karen Hanson and Mark Kaplan in guiding us through stellar recent appointments. You’ll notice that we’re doing some different things in these pages. This issue inaugurates two new features: a spotlight on the career path of one of our alumni and one faculty member’s attempt to Printed on recycled paper in U.S.A. acquaint you, dear reader, with the set of philosophical issues and conundrums that are currently occupying his scholarly atten- tion. (For briefer snapshots of the interests Philosophy Alumni: What’s new with you? of individual faculty members, follow the The IU Alumni Association is charged with maintaining records for all IU alumni. “faculty” link on the left side of our de- Please print as much of the following information as you wish. Its purpose, in addition to partment home page.) Our final page will providing us with your class note, is to keep IU’s alumni records accurate and up to date. highlight select bits of news. To verify and update your information online, visit our online alumni directory at ✄ — Tim O’Connor www.alumni.indiana.edu/directory. Name______Date______Alumni spotlight Preferred name______(continued from page 3) Last name while at IU______some of these peers suggested I had made IU Degree(s)/Yr(s)______the most convincing argument for such a Univ. ID # (PeopleSoft) or last four digits of Soc. Sec. #______program that they ever heard.) Finally, the Home address______analytical and narrative skills needed for Home phone______writing conference papers and teaching Mill and Kant were the same as those needed City______State______Zip______for reviewing and writing successful grant Business title______applications in the CTE — and beyond the Company/Institution______gates of the university, as well. Company address______After four years as a CTE staff member, Work phone______I moved last summer to a faculty position in our Center for Ethics and Leadership. City______State______Zip______Though my new role won’t involve work as * E-mail______a teaching coach, my job in the CTE helped * Home page URL______me learn how to conduct the one-on-one * Please indicate clearly upper and lower case. consultations that will be central to my new ❍ ❍ position. While I look forward to being a Mailing address preference: Home Business faculty member in philosophy, I’ll also miss Spouse name______the chance to observe instructors all over Last name while at IU______campus — observations that were a kind of IU Degree(s)/Yr(s)______second chance to try college all over again Your news: ______without having to do the homework! If y’all make it to Austin for the mu- ______sic, food, or to do research at the Harry ______Ransom Center at the University of Texas, ______let me know you’re headed this way. While you’re here, I’ll be sure to introduce you to o Please send me information about IU Alumni Association membership. the most intelligent and sweet 2-year-old in IUAA membership supports and includes membership in the College of Arts & town, Liam Green Musselman. Sciences Alumni Association and your local alumni chapter. You may join online — John “Jack” Green Musselman, PhD’00 at www.alumni.indiana.edu or call (800) 824-3044. St. Edward’s University, Austin, Texas Attach additional pages if necessary. Mail to the address above, or fax to (812) 855-8266. http://faculty.stedwards.edu/jackgm/