Epistemic Justification

by Swinburne, Richard

• ISBN13: 9780199243792
• ISBN10: 0199243794
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-10-25
• Publisher: Clarendon Press

Summary

Richard Swinburne offers an original treatment of a question at the heart of epistemology: what makes a belief rational, or justified in holding? He maps the rival accounts of philosophers on epistemic justification ("internalist" and "externalist"), arguing that they are really accounts of different concepts. He distinguishes between synchronic justification (justification at a time) and diachronic justification (synchronic justification resulting from adequate investigation)--both internalist and externalist. He also argues that most kinds of justification are worth having because they are indicative of truth; however, it is only justification of internalist kinds that can guide a believer's actions. Swinburne goes on to show the usefulness of the probability calculus in elucidating how empirical evidence makes beliefs probably true.

Author Biography

Richard Swinburne is Nolloth Professor of the Philosophy of the Christian Religion at Oriel College, Oxford

Table of Contents

Introduction	1	(9)
Theories of Synchronic Justification	9	(23)
Belief	32
Probability	5the Bay	(74)
e Criteria of Logical Probability	74	(55)
Basicality	129	(23)
The Value of Synchronic Justification	152	(13)
The Value of Diachronic Justification	165	(27)
Knowledge	192	(29)
Appendix. Predictivism	221	(12)
Additional Notes	233	(26)
Index	259