Description
A wide-ranging engagement with one of contemporary epistemology's most influential thinkers
Hilary Kornblith is one of the world's leading philosophers theorizing about knowledge and related issues. A key figure in the naturalized epistemology tradition, Kornblith integrates traditional empiricism with contemporary cognitive science, rejecting inward-looking, first-person approaches in favor of a third-person, scientifically grounded perspective on mind and knowledge.
Kornblith's contributions have reshaped debates about the nature and structure of knowledge, justification, and epistemic normativity; he has challenged the legitimacy of conceptual analysis and the reliability of reflection and reasoning, besides charting and defending a mature and self-consciously naturalistic philosophical methodology. By exploring this terrain, Kornblith and His Critics offers an in-depth examination of some of the most unique and innovative work in the last 40 years of anglophone epistemology.
This volume brings together fifteen original essays by leading philosophers engaging with Kornblith's work, each written specifically for this collection. Organized into three main thematic sections – Knowledge and Justification, Reflection and Inference, and Naturalism and Methodology – the collection systematically traces and tests the implications of Kornblith's work across key debates. The volume also includes a substantial reply from Kornblith, offering his own response to the critical challenges raised by the incisive contributions.
Kornblith and His Critics is ideal for graduate and advanced undergraduate philosophy students, especially those taking a variety of courses on epistemology and philosophical methodology. Key features include:
- A complete and detailed overview of how Kornblith's work compares with, and contributes to, key debates in epistemology.
- Cutting-edge engagement with the foundations, nature, and future of naturalized epistemology.
- Thorough discussion of core issues in epistemology: from the nature of knowledge, justification, and inference to the epistemic value of reflection and conceptual analysis.
- A lengthy and unique reply by Hilary Kornblith, directly addressing the critical challenges raised by the incisive contributions.
- A systematic and thematic structure for easy integration into graduate and upper-level undergraduate courses.
Kornblith and His Critics is a vital resource for researchers and instructors within philosophy programs in both MA and PhD curricula, as well as general readers interested in post-analytic and empirically-informed philosophy.
Table of Contents
List of Contributors vii
Acknowledgements xi
Introduction: On Hilary Kornblith’s Epistemology xii
Joshua DiPaolo and Luis R.G. Oliveira
Section 1 Knowledge and Justification 1
1 Knowledge of Knowledge and Its Place in Nature 3
Daniel Greco
2 Kornblith, Naturalism, Relativism 21
Martin Kusch and Robin McKenna
3 On the “Arguments-On-Paper” View of Epistemic Justification 39
Juan Comesaña
4 Logic: It’s Not Just a Good Idea; It’s the Law 55
David Christensen
5 Epistemological Detente? 72
Catherine Z. Elgin
Section 2 Reflection and Inference 87
6 Reflection, Confabulation, and Reasoning 89
Jennifer Nagel
7 Reflection Without Reification 107
Berislav Marušić
8 Easy Knowledge, Junk Knowledge; Knowledge Nonetheless? 120
Katia Vavova
9 Reasons and Their Place in Nature 139
Tricia Magalotti
10 Inference, Taking, and Reason-Responsiveness 158
Section 3 Naturalism and Methodology 181
11 Naturalized Epistemic Oughts 183
Mona Simion
12 Kornblith on Epistemic Normativity 200
Matthew McGrath
13 Armchair Philosophy and Naturalized Epistemology 215
Ernest Sosa
14 Naturalistic Function-First Epistemology 226
Georgi Gardiner
15 How Much Does Knowledge Matter? Reality, Representation, and the Aims of Epistemology 248
Tristram McPherson and David Plunkett
Section 4 Replies 273
16 Replies to My Critics 275
Appendix: Hilary Kornblith’s Publications 297
Index 000
