Knowledge-First Epistemology
A Defence

This Element defends an integrated Knowledge-First account of justified belief, evidence, defeat, and norms of assertion, action, and reasoning.

Mona Simion (Author)

9781009454988, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 27 March 2025

78 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 0.6 cm, 0.252 kg

Knowledge-first epistemology places knowledge at the normative core of epistemological affairs: on this approach, central epistemic phenomena are to be analyzed in terms of knowledge. This Element offers a defence of an integrated, naturalistic knowledge-first account of justified belief, reasons, evidence and defeat, permissible assertion and action, and the epistemic normativity of practical and theoretical reasoning. On this account, the epistemic is an independent normative domain organized around one central etiological epistemic function: generating knowledge. In turn, this epistemic function generates epistemic norms of proper functioning that constitute the epistemic domain, and govern moves in our epistemic practice, such as forming beliefs, asserting, and reasoning. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.

Preface
1. Introduction
2. The knowledge function
3. Justified belief
4. Reasons, evidence, and defeat
5. Action and assertion
6. Practical and theoretical reasoning
References.

Subject Areas: Philosophy [HP]