The A Priori without Magic

This Element offers a simple theory of the a priori without magic.

Jared Warren (Author)

9781009015769, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 13 October 2022

75 pages
22.8 x 15.2 x 0.5 cm, 0.13 kg

The distinction between the a priori and the a posteriori is an old and influential one. But both the distinction itself and the crucial notion of a priori knowledge face powerful philosophical challenges. Many philosophers worry that accepting the a priori is tantamount to accepting epistemic magic. In contrast, this Element argues that the a priori can be formulated clearly, made respectable, and used to do important epistemological work. The author's conception of the a priori and its role falls short of what some historical proponents of the notion may have hoped for, but it allows us to accept and use the notion without abandoning either naturalism or empiricism, broadly understood. This Element argues that we can accept and use the a priori without magic.

Preface
Introduction
1. Epistemic Evaluation
2. Characterizing the A Priori
3. A Priori Through Innateness
4. Against Rationalism
5. A Theory of the A Priori
6. Challenge Cases
7. Defending Robust A Priori
8. A Priori in the Epistemological Joints
9. The Nature of Epistemology
References.

Subject Areas: Philosophy: epistemology & theory of knowledge [HPK]