THE ROUTLEDGE COMPANION TO EPISTEMOLOGY Epistemology, the philosophy of knowledge, is at the core of many of the central debates and issues in philosophy, interrogating the notions of truth, objectivity, trust, belief, and perception. The Routledge Companion to Epistemology provides a comprehensive and up-to- date survey of epistemology, charting its history, providing a thorough account of its key thinkers and movements, and addressing enduring questions and contemporary research in the field. Organized thematically, the Companion is divided into ten sections: (cid:129) Foundational Concepts (cid:129) The Analysis of Knowledge (cid:129) The Structure of Knowledge (cid:129) Kinds of Knowledge (cid:129) Skepticism (cid:129) Responses to Skepticism (cid:129) Knowledge and Knowledge Attributions (cid:129) Formal Epistemology (cid:129) The History of Epistemology (cid:129) Metaepistemological Issues Seventy-eight original chapters, each between 5000 and 7000 words and written by a leading epistemologist, provide students with an outstanding and accessible guide to the field. Designed to fit the most comprehensive syllabus in the discipline, this text will be an indispensable resource for anyone interested in this central area of philosophy. The Routledge Companion to Epistemology is essential reading for students of philosophy. Sven Bernecker is Professor of Philosophy at the University of California, Irvine. His main areas of research are epistemology, metaphysics, and philosophy of mind. He is the author of Reading Epistemology (2006), The Metaphysics of Memory (2008), and Memory: A Philosophical Study (2010); and editor, with Fred Dretske, of Knowledge: Readings in Contemporary Epistemology (2000). Duncan Pritchard is Professor at the School of Philosophy, Psychology, and Language Sciences at the University of Edinburgh. His main area of research is epistemology, and he has published widely in this area. In particular, he is the author of Epistemic Luck (2005), Epistemology A-Z (with M. Blaauw, 2005), Knowledge (2009), What is this Thing Called Knowledge? (Second Edition, Routledge, 2010), and The Nature and Value of Knowledge (with Adrian Haddock and Alan Millar, 2010). Routledge Philosophy Companions Routledge Philosophy Companions offer thorough, high quality surveys and assessments of the major topics and periods in philosophy. Covering key problems, themes and think- ers, all entries are specially commissioned for each volume and written by leading schol- ars in the field. Clear, accessible and carefully edited and organized, Routledge Philosophy Companions are indispensable for anyone coming to a major topic or period in philoso- phy for the first time, as well as for the more advanced reader. The Routledge Companion to Aesthetics, Second Edition Edited by Berys Gaut and Dominic Lopes The Routledge Companion to Philosophy of Religion Edited by Chad Meister and Paul Copan The Routledge Companion to the Philosophy of Science Edited by Stathis Psillos and Martin Curd The Routledge Companion to Twentieth Century Philosophy Edited by Dermot Moran The Routledge Companion to Philosophy and Film Edited by Paisley Livingston and Carl Plantinga The Routledge Companion to Philosophy of Psychology Edited by John Symons and Paco Calvo The Routledge Companion to Metaphysics Edited by Robin Le Poidevin, Peter Simons, Andrew McGonigal, and Ross Cameron The Routledge Companion to Nineteenth Century Philosophy Edited by Dean Moyar The Routledge Companion to Ethics Edited by John Skorupski The Routledge Companion to Epistemology Edited by Sven Bernecker and Duncan Pritchard Forthcoming: The Routledge Companion to Philosophy and Music Edited by Andrew Kania and Theodore Gracyk The Routledge Companion to Seventeenth Century Philosophy Edited by Dan Kaufman The Routledge Companion to Eighteenth Century Philosophy Edited by Aaron Garrett The Routledge Companion to Phenomenology Edited by Søren Overgaard and Sebastian Luft The Routledge Companion to Philosophy of Mental Disorder Edited by Jakob Hohwy and Philip Gerrans The Routledge Companion to Social and Political Philosophy Edited by Gerald Gaus and Fred D’Agostino The Routledge Companion to Philosophy of Language Edited by Gillian Russell and Delia Graff Fara The Routledge Companion to Theism Edited by Charles Taliaferro, Victoria Harrison, and Stewart Goetz The Routledge Companion to Philosophy of Law Edited by Andrei Marmor The Routledge Companion to Islamic Philosophy Edited by Richard C. Taylor and Luis Xavier López-Farjeat The Routledge Companion to Philosophy of Literature Edited by Noël Carroll and John Gibson PRAISE FO R THE SERIES The Routledge Companion to Aesthetics “This is an immensely useful book that belongs in every college library and on the book- shelves of all serious students of aesthetics.”—Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism “The succinctness and clarity of the essays will make this a source that individuals not familiar with aesthetics will find extremely helpful.”—The Philosophical Quarterly “An outstanding resource in aesthetics . . . this text will not only serve as a handy refer- ence source for students and faculty alike, but it could also be used as a text for a course in the philosophy of art.”—Australasian Journal of Philosophy “Attests to the richness of modern aesthetics . . . the essays in central topics—many of which are written by well-known figures—succeed in being informative, balanced and intelligent without being too difficult.”—British Journal of Aesthetics “This handsome reference volume . . . belongs in every library.”—Choice “The Routledge Companions to philosophy have proved to be a useful series of high qual- ity surveys of major philosophical topics and this volume is worthy enough to sit with the others on a reference library shelf.”—Philosophy and Religion The Routledge Companion to Philosophy of Religion “. . . a very valuable resource for libraries and serious scholars.”—Choice “The work is sure to be an academic standard for years to come . . . I shall heartily recom- mend The Routledge Companion to Philosophy of Religion to my students and colleagues and hope that libraries around the country add it to their collections.”—Philosophia Christi The Routledge Companion to Philosophy of Science “With a distinguished list of internationally renowned contributors, an excellent choice of topics in the field, and well-written, well-edited essays throughout, this compendium is an excellent resource. Highly recommended.”—Choice “Highly recommended for history of science and philosophy collections.”—Library Journal “This well conceived companion, which brings together an impressive collection of distinguished authors, will be invaluable to novices and experienced readers alike.” —Metascience The Routledge Companion to Twentieth Century Philosophy “To describe this volume as ambitious would be a serious understatement. . . . full of scholarly rigor, including detailed notes and bibliographies of interest to professional philosophers. . . . Summing up: essential.”—Choice The Routledge Companion to Philosophy and Film “A fascinating, rich volume offering dazzling insights and incisive commentary on every page . . . Every serious student of film will want this book . . . Summing up: highly recom- mended.”—Choice The Routledge Companion to Philosophy of Psychology “This work should serve as the standard reference for those interested in gaining a reli- able overview of the burgeoning field of philosophical psychology. Summing up: essen- tial.”—Choice The Routledge Companion to Metaphysics “The Routledge Philosophy Companions series has a deserved reputation for impressive scope and scholarly value. This volume is no exception . . . Summing up: highly recom- mended.”—Choice THE ROUTLEDGE COMPANION TO EPISTEMOLOGY Edited by Sven Bernecker and Duncan Pritchard First published 2011 by Routledge 270 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016 Simultaneously published in the UK by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2011. To purchase your own copy of this or any of Taylor & Francis or Routledge’s collection of thousands of eBooks please go to www.eBookstore.tandf.co.uk. © 2011 Taylor & Francis The right of Sven Bernecker, Duncan Pritchard and the contributors to be identified as the authors of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Trademark Notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data The Routledge companion to epistemology/ edited by Sven Bernecker, Duncan Pritchard. p. cm.—(Routledge philosophy companions) Includes bibliographical references. I. Knowledge, Theory of. I. Bernecker, Sven. II. Pritchard, Duncan. III. Title: Companion to epistemology. BD161.R69 2011 121—dc22 2010020537 ISBN 0-203-83906-4 Master e-book ISBN ISBN13: 978–0–415–96219–3 (hbk) ISBN13: 978–0–203–83906–5 (ebk) CONTENTS Notes on Contributors xv Preface xxv PART I Foundational Concepts 1 1 Truth 3 MICHAEL P. LYNCH 2 Belief 14 ERIC SCHWITZGEBEL 3 Epistemic Justification 25 JONATHAN L. KVANVIG 4 Epistemic Rationality 37 RICHARD FOLEY 5 Epistemic Norms 47 PASCAL ENGEL 6 Evidence 58 TIMOTHY MCGREW 7 Disagreement 68 BRYAN FRANCES 8 Epistemic Relativism 75 PAUL BOGHOSSIAN 9 Understanding 84 STEPHEN R. GRIMM 10 Wisdom 95 DENNIS WHITCOMB