Knowledge: value on the cheap

Carter, J. A. , Jarvis, B. and Rubin, K. (2013) Knowledge: value on the cheap. Australasian Journal of Philosophy, 91(2), pp. 249-263. (doi: 10.1080/00048402.2012.694455)

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Abstract

We argue that the so-called ‘Primary’ and ‘Secondary’ Value Problems for knowledge are more easily solved than is widely appreciated. Pritchard, for instance, has suggested that only virtue-theoretic accounts have any hopes of adequately addressing these problems. By contrast, we argue that accounts of knowledge that are sensitive to the Gettier problem are able to overcome these challenges. To first approximation, the Primary Value Problem is a problem of understanding how the property of being knowledge confers more epistemic value on a belief than the property of being true. The Secondary Value is a problem of understanding how, for instance, property of being knowledge confers more epistemic value on a belief than the property of being jointly true and justified. We argue that attending to the fact that beliefs are ongoing states reveals that there is no difficulty in appreciating how knowledge might ordinarily have more epistemic value than mere true belief or mere justified true belief. We also explore in what ways ordinary cases of knowledge might be of distinctive epistemic value. In the end, our proposal resembles the original Platonic suggestion in the Meno that knowledge is valuable because knowledge is somehow tied to the good of truth.

Item Type:Articles
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Carter, Professor J Adam
Authors: Carter, J. A., Jarvis, B., and Rubin, K.
Subjects:B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > B Philosophy (General)
College/School:College of Arts & Humanities > School of Humanities > Philosophy
Journal Name:Australasian Journal of Philosophy
Publisher:Taylor & Francis
ISSN:0004-8402
ISSN (Online):1471-6828
Published Online:28 June 2012
Copyright Holders:Copyright © 2013 Australasian Association of Philosophy
First Published:First published in Australasian Journal of Philosophy 91(2): 249-263
Publisher Policy:Reproduced in accordance with the publisher copyright policy

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