On testimonial knowledge and its functions

Synthese 200 (2):1-21 (2022)
  Copy   BIBTEX

Abstract

The problem of explaining how we acquire knowledge via testimony gives rise to a dilemma, according to which any theory must make testimonial knowledge either too hard or too easy, and therefore no adequate account of testimonial knowledge is possible. In recent work, John Greco offers a solution to the dilemma on behalf of anti-reductionism that appeals to Edward Craig’s functionalist epistemology. It is argued that Greco’s solution is flawed, in that his functionalist account provides wrong verdicts of ordinary cases of testimonial knowledge. In contrast, it is shown that both anti-reductionism and reductionism have the resources to solve the dilemma and provide the right verdicts in ordinary cases of testimonial knowledge without appealing to Greco’s functionalism.

Similar books and articles

Social Knowledge and Social Norms.Peter J. Graham - 2018 - In Markos Valaris & Stephen Hetherington (eds.), The Philosophy of Knowledge: A History. Volume IV: Knowledge in Contemporary Philosophy. London: Bloomsbury. pp. 111-138.
Knowing at second hand.Benjamin McMyler - 2007 - Inquiry: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Philosophy 50 (5):511 – 540.
A Critical Introduction to Testimony.Axel Gelfert - 2014 - New York: Bloomsbury Academic.
Epistemic buck-passing and the interpersonal view of testimony.Judith Baker & Philip Clark - 2018 - Canadian Journal of Philosophy 48 (2):178-199.
Testimonien, epistemische Gemeinschaften und praktische Risiken.Felix Bräuer - 2017 - Deutsche Zeitschrift für Philosophie 65 (5).
What is transmission*?John Greco - 2016 - Episteme 13 (4):481-498.
Group testimony.Deborah Tollefsen - 2007 - Social Epistemology 21 (3):299 – 311.
Testimonial Knowledge-How.Andrew Peet - 2019 - Erkenntnis 84 (4):895-912.
The Justification of Testimony and Intellectual Virtues.Ruery-Lin Chen - 2018 - Proceedings of the XXIII World Congress of Philosophy 75:55-61.
Testing What’s at Stake: Defending Stakes Effects for Testimony.Michel Croce & Paul Poenicke - 2017 - Teorema: International Journal of Philosophy 36 (3):163-183.

Analytics

Added to PP
2022-01-12

Downloads
224 (#81,707)

6 months
72 (#54,395)

Historical graph of downloads
How can I increase my downloads?

Author's Profile

Michel Croce
Università degli Studi di Genova

Citations of this work

No citations found.

Add more citations

References found in this work

Testimony: a philosophical study.C. A. J. Coady - 1992 - New York: Oxford University Press.
Content preservation.Tyler Burge - 1993 - Philosophical Review 102 (4):457-488.
Knowledge on Trust.Paul Faulkner - 2011 - New York: Oxford University Press.
Relying on others: an essay in epistemology.Sanford Goldberg - 2010 - Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Against Gullibility.Elizabeth Fricker - 1994 - In A. Chakrabarti & B. K. Matilal (eds.), Knowing from Words. Kluwer Academic Publishers.

View all 38 references / Add more references