Epistemology: 50 Puzzles, Paradoxes, and Thought Experiments

Description

In this new kind of entrée to contemporary epistemology, Kevin McCain presents fifty of the field’s most important puzzles, paradoxes, and thought experiments. Assuming no familiarity with epistemology from the reader, McCain titles each case with a memorable name, describes the details of the case, explains the issue(s) to which the case is relevant, and assesses its significance. McCain also briefly reviews the key responses to the case that have been put forward, and provides a helpful list of suggested readings on the topic. Each entry is accessible, succinct, and self-contained. Epistemology: 50 Puzzles, Paradoxes, and Thought Experiments is a fantastic learning tool as well as a handy resource for anyone interested in epistemological issues. Key Features: Though concise overall, offers broad coverage of the key areas of epistemology. Describes each imaginative case directly and in a memorable way, making the cases accessible and easy to remember. Provides a list of Suggested Readings for each case, divided into General Overviews, Seminal Presentations, and Other Important Discussions. Cover Half Title Series Page Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents Preface Part I: Nature of Knowledge General Background: The Traditional Account of Knowledge 1 Promotions and Traveling Friends (The Gettier Problem) 2 A Grisly Discovery (Causal Theory of Knowledge) 3 A Strange County (Fake Barns) 4 Red Barns and Blue Façades (Kripke’s Barn) 5 The Tourist (Credit View of Knowledge) 6 A Horrible Library (Kvanvig’s Comanche Case) 7 The Quiz Show (Knowledge without Belief ) 8 Trip to the Zoo (Dretske’s Zebra/Disguised Mule) 9 Saul the Superstitious Lawyer (Knowledge and Basing) 10 Going to the Bank (Contextualism) Part II: Limits of Knowledge General Background: Skepticism 11 Descartes’ Demon (Cartesian/External World Skepticism) 12 Descartes’ Dream (Dreaming Skepticism) 13 Is the Past Real? (Russell’s Five Minutes Old Universe) 14 Descartes’ Apple Sorting Problem (The Problem of the Criterion) 15 You’re Debased! (The Debasing Demon) 16 Winning the Lottery (Lottery Skepticism) 17 You Only Believe That Because… (Contingency of Belief ) 18 Hot or Cold? (Anti-Luminosity) 19 A Cut-Rate Eye Exam (Bootstrapping/Easy Knowledge) 20 Off to the Races! (Disjunction Objection to IBE) 21 To Transform or Not to Transform? (Transformative Experience) 22 Mary Sees an Apple (Knowledge Argument against Physicalism) Part III: Justification General Background: The Nature of Justification 23 The Unfortunate Twin (New Evil Demon Problem) 24 Psychic Powers (Clairvoyance Cases) 25 Avocados Are Healthy, But I Forgot Why (Forgotten Evidence) 26 The Sleepy Student (Problem of Stored Beliefs) 27 A Visitor from the Swamp (Swampman Objection to Proper Functionalism) 28 Missing the Show (Unpossessed Evidence) 29 A Pair of Hens (Speckled Hen Problem) 30 Birdwatching (Problem of Background Beliefs; Expert/Novice) 31 Gold Rush (Cognitive Penetration) 32 Armchair Quarterback (Isolation/Input Objection to Coherentism) Part IV: Social Epistemology General Background: Social Epistemology 33 The Unbelieving Teacher (Transmission View of Testimony—Necessity) 34 A Conspiracy (Transmission View of Testimony— Sufficiency) 35 He Can’t Possibly Know (Epistemic Injustice— Testimonial) 36 What’s Harassment? (Epistemic Injustice— Hermeneutical) 37 Expecting a Bad Tip (Moral Encroachment) 38 Splitting the Check (Disagreement—In Favor of Equal Weight) 39 Bad Math (Disagreement—Against Equal Weight) 40 Majority Rules? (Group Belief Aggregation) Part V: Puzzles and Paradoxes General Background: Puzzles and Paradoxes 41 A Gruesome Riddle (New Riddle of Induction/Grue) 42 Ravens Paradox 43 The Dogmatism Puzzle 44 Sleeping Beauty 45 The Surprise Quiz Paradox 46 Knowability Paradox 47 Moore’s Paradox 48 Lottery Paradox 49 Preface Paradox 50 The Proof Paradox