Acta Structuralica

international journal for structuralist research

Journal | Volume | Article

236494

Abnormality, cognitive virtues, and knowledge

Robert K. Shope

pp. 99-118

Abstract

Causal analyses of one’s knowing that p have recently emphasized the involvement of cognitive virtues in coming to believe that p. John Greco suggests that in order to deal with Gettier-type cases, a virtue analysis of knowing should include a requirement that one’s knowing does not in a certain way involve abnormality. Yet Greco’s emphasis on statistical abnormality either renders his analysis subject to a generality problem or to objections regarding certain Gettier-type cases. When we instead consider abnormality in the sense of a causally differentiating factor in relation to a causal contrast situation, the account remains unclear concerning its application to an interesting non-Gettier-type case concerning chance. The exploration of these shortcomings casts doubt on the epistemological usefulness of the schema, ‘If you know, then there is no abnormality in your being right.’

Publication details

Published in:

(2008) Synthese 163 (1).

Pages: 99-118

DOI: 10.1007/s11229-008-9313-y

Full citation:

Shope Robert K. (2008) „Abnormality, cognitive virtues, and knowledge“. Synthese 163 (1), 99–118.