Knowledge and the State of Nature
An Essay in Conceptual Synthesis
Craig, Edward University Lecturer in Philosophy and Fellow of Churchill College, Cambridge
Print publication date: 1999 (this edition)
Published to Oxford Scholarship Online: November 2003
Print ISBN-13: 978-0-19-823879-9




VII Local v. Global Reliabilism. Discussion of McGinn
doi:10.1093/0198238797.003.0007

Edward Craig
Abstract: Discusses the relative merits of local reliabilism (exemplified by Nozick's theory) and global reliabilism (exemplified by Colin McGinn's theory). Craig concludes that the explicated concept of knowledge implies, in nearly all cases, the idea of a wider competence on the part of the informant (as espoused by global reliabilism), even though it does not entail it. This is because, in most cases, we will trust our informant over p if and only if we believe her to be good at discerning the truth over a range of related matters.

Keywords: global reliabilism, local reliabilism, McGinn, Nozick, reliabilism,

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Contents
 
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Full Book Contents
I Nature and motivation of project. Doubts answered. Plato, Pears, Hobbes, comparison with State-of-Nature Theory in Political Philosophy. Evolutionary epistemology
II Derivation of first condition; the problem whether belief necessary. Necessary and sufficient conditions an unsuitable format. The prototypical case
III Need for third condition. Discussion of the Nozick-Dretske analysis
IV Why causal theory, tracking, reliabilism all good approximations. Why justified true belief a good approximation. Comparison with Grice
V Distinction between Informant and Source of Information; its nature and point. Application to putative ‘knowledge without belief’ cases; and to comparativism: Goldman
VI Being right by accident. All analyses insufficient. Blackburn: the Mirv/Pirv principle
VII Local v. Global Reliabilism. Discussion of McGinn
VIII Externalist and Internalist analyses. The first-person case. Knowing that one knows
IX Insufficiency of the various analyses. The ‘No false lemma’ principle. Its rationale—and its effect
X Objectivisation. The ‘cart before the horse’ objection—and the response
XI Lotteries and multiple premises: the pull towards certainty. Knowledge and natural laws
XII Objectivisation and scepticism. Unger's first account
XIII Two explanations of scepticism: the first-person approach, and the absolute perspective
XIV Knowledge and involvement. What makes truth valuable?
XV Testimony and the transmission of knowledge. Welbourne: believing the speaker
XVI Other locutions: Knowing Fred. Information v. acquaintance. Interacting with Fred. Knowing London—and German
XVII Other locutions: Knowing how to. The Inquirer and the Apprentice. ‘Knows how to’ compared with ‘can’—and with ‘knows that’
Appendix
Bibliography
Index
 
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