Cohen on 'Epistemic'. Issue 7 (16th November 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: McGrath, Matthew
• Is Part Of: Inquiry. Volume 59:Issue 7/8(2016)
• Page Start: 889
• Page End: 905
• Publication Date: 2016-11-16
• Subjects: epistemic justification -- knowledge -- epistemic norms -- internalism and externalism; Philosophy -- Periodicals; Social sciences -- Philosophy -- Periodicals; Philosophy -- Periodicals; Social Sciences -- Periodicals; Electronic journals; Philosophie -- Périodiques; Sciences sociales -- Philosophie -- Périodiques; 105
• DOI: 10.1080/0020174X.2016.1200812
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0020-174X

Abstract

Abstract: Stewart Cohen offers a critique of much contemporary epistemology. Epistemologies use the term 'epistemic' in order to specify the issues they investigate and about which they disagree. Cohen sees widespread confusion about these issues. The problem, he argues, is that 'epistemic' is functioning as an inadequately defined technical term. I will argue, rather, that the troubles come more from non-technical vocabulary, in particular with 'justification' and 'ought', and generally from the difficulty of explaining normativity. Overall, the message of this paper is that normativity is what's hard to understand, not the term 'epistemic.'