This volume aims to explore and apply a particular methodology in epistemology. The methodology is to consider the point(s) or purpose(s) of our epistemic evaluations, and to pursue epistemological theory in light of such matters. Call this purposeful epistemology. The idea is that considerations about the point and purpose of epistemic evaluation might fruitfully constrain epistemological theory and yield insights for epistemological reflection. Several chapters explicitly address this methodology. Other chapters focus on advancing some application of it. For example, some of the chapters foc ... More

This volume aims to explore and apply a particular methodology in epistemology. The methodology is to consider the point(s) or purpose(s) of our epistemic evaluations, and to pursue epistemological theory in light of such matters. Call this purposeful epistemology. The idea is that considerations about the point and purpose of epistemic evaluation might fruitfully constrain epistemological theory and yield insights for epistemological reflection. Several chapters explicitly address this methodology. Other chapters focus on advancing some application of it. For example, some of the chapters focus on the implications for purposeful epistemology for contextualism about epistemic evaluation and for the idea that such evaluation involves “pragmatic encroachment.” Others explore the idea that purposes allow one to understand various conceptual demands on knowing, such as the demand that knowers can give reasons. The text explores how purposeful epistemology might shed light on the debate between internalist and externalist epistemologies. One way in which one might develop a purposeful epistemology is to think of epistemic norms as a kind of social norm in which agents manage to coordinate their individual and group pursuit of true belief. One chapter develops such an approach. Finally, many of the chapters take direction from reflection on Edward Craig’s Knowledge and the State of Nature. For example, one chapter develops ideas in Craig to apply purposeful epistemology to issues regarding testimonial knowledge.