In seeking to defend a form of naturalism that avoids both scientism and the reduction of philosophy to science, Robert Almeder defines philosophy and distinguishes it from the domain of natural science by showing how a good philosophical explanation, while empirically testable, differs from a good scientific explanation.
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Almeder refutes scientific naturalism, or scientism, which holds that the only legitimate claims about the world are those that can be tested by the methods of the natural sciences. He proposes instead a rationally defensible form of naturalism that does not reduce explanations to scientific ones. -- Book News, February 1999
In this carefully reasoned and interesting book, Almeder (Georgie State) defends a minimal naturalism in epistemology that he calls "harmless naturalism." He proceeds by arguing against "replacement naturalism" and "transformational naturalism." Replacement naturalism includes Quine's "scientific" epistemology and his eliminativist followers' views about the fate of beliefs. Stich and Churchland are singled out for special consideration here. Transformational naturalists include Goldman, a reliabilist, and Dretske, a causalist about knowledge. Almeder's own position hinges upon a distinction he makes between implicit and explicit empirical confirmation or falsification. . . . Although he relies on some arguments from other philosophers such as Haack, Kornblith and Kim, he sheds some original light on the naturalism debates and also provides a useful introduction to naturalistic epistemology. -- Choice, 10/15/98
In this carefully reasoned and interesting book, Almeder (Georgie State) defends a minimal naturalism in epistemology that he calls "harmless naturalism." He proceeds by arguing against "replacement naturalism" and "transformational naturalism." Replacement naturalism includes Quine's "scientific" epistemology and his eliminativist followers' views about the fate of beliefs. Stich and Churchland are singled out for special consideration here. Transformational naturalists include Goldman, a reliabilist, and Dretske, a causalist about knowledge. Almeder's own position hinges upon a distinction he makes between implicit and explicit empirical confirmation or falsification. . . . Although he relies on some arguments from other philosophers such as Haack, Kornblith and Kim, he sheds some original light on the naturalism debates and also provides a useful introduction to naturalistic epistemology. -- Choice, 10/15/98
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Robert Almeder received his PhD in philosophy from the University of Pennsylvania and is Professor Emeritus at Georgia State University, having served as the McCullough Distinguished Professor at Hamilton College (N.Y.). He has served in the past as the editor of the American Philosophical Quarterly.
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First Sentence:
In "Epistemology Naturalized." Quine begins his defense of naturalized epistemology by asserting that traditional epistemology is concerned with the foundations of science, broadly conceived. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
argument for the replacement thesis, transformational thesis, harmless naturalism, psychic gamblers, defeasibility analyses, replacement theorist, specific observational data, produced true belief, internalist constraint, robust confirmation, unreliable beliefs, defining justification, naturalized epistemologist, naturalized epistemology, necessary condition for justification, sufficient condition for justification, reliabilist theory, demon world, global skepticism, traditional epistemology, traditional epistemologist, naturalizing epistemology, empirical testability, epistemic justification, rational acceptance Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Cartesian Egos, Alvin Goldman, Paul Churchland, Aunt Hattie, New York City, Another Example, Carl Ginet, Garrulous Minor, Marshall Swain, North Pole, Philosophy Is Science, Weather Bureau New!
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
In "Epistemology Naturalized." Quine begins his defense of naturalized epistemology by asserting that traditional epistemology is concerned with the foundations of science, broadly conceived. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
argument for the replacement thesis, transformational thesis, harmless naturalism, psychic gamblers, defeasibility analyses, replacement theorist, specific observational data, produced true belief, internalist constraint, robust confirmation, unreliable beliefs, defining justification, naturalized epistemologist, naturalized epistemology, necessary condition for justification, sufficient condition for justification, reliabilist theory, demon world, global skepticism, traditional epistemology, traditional epistemologist, naturalizing epistemology, empirical testability, epistemic justification, rational acceptance Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Cartesian Egos, Alvin Goldman, Paul Churchland, Aunt Hattie, New York City, Another Example, Carl Ginet, Garrulous Minor, Marshall Swain, North Pole, Philosophy Is Science, Weather Bureau New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 57
books:
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books
cite this book:
- Epistemology and Cognition by Alvin I. Goldman on 9 pages
- Epistemic Justification: Essays in the Theory of Knowledge by William P. Alston on 8 pages
- Judgement and Justification (Cambridge Studies in Philosophy) by William G. Lycan on 6 pages
- Philosophy of Science (Paragon Issues in Philosophy) by James Fetzer on 5 pages
- Knowledge of the External World (Problems of Philosophy) by Bruce Aune on 4 pages
See all 57 books this book cites
- Scrutinizing Feminist Epistemology: An Examination of Gender in Science by Robert F. Almeder in Back Matter
- Epistemology: Internalism and Externalism (Blackwell Readings in Philosophy) by Hilary Kornblith in Back Matter
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