Current Research in Epistemology
My research updates and defends an internalist theory of justification founded on acquaintance. Contemporary epistemologists are quick to dismiss acquaintance theories in favor of more naturalistically acceptable externalist theories such as reliabilism, or in favor of less demanding internalist theories such as phenomenal conservatism. My research shows these dismissals to be too quick by: (i) demystifying the nature of the acquaintance relation in a naturalistically acceptable way, and (ii) weakening the demands of an acquaintance theory so as to avoid over-intellectualizing justification while still respecting internalist motivations.
A central part of my project involves elucidating the nature of acquaintance so as to mitigate worries of “mysteriousness.” My research argues against views that acquaintance is a sui generic relation and views that identify acquaintance with phenomenal consciousness. I develop an alternative I call the “Attention Availability Model”: a subject S is acquainted with X when X is available for uptake by S’s attention mechanisms. This model: (i) resolves the problem of the speckled hen while preserving internist motivations, (ii) makes acquaintance naturalistically acceptable, and (iii) vindicates a conceptual tie between having a reason and having the ability to use that reason to form a belief (which helps to provide a novel resolution of the Sellarsian dilemma for foundationalism).
My “Attention Availability Model” helps to mitigate concerns about the mysteriousness of acquaintance. However, I also argue that positing such a relation has theoretical benefits. My paper “Is Justification Easy or Impossible?” in Synthese develops one of these in detail: positing acquaintance resolves problems surrounding bootstrapping. My research in progress also suggests that an appeal to acquaintance can also provide an internalist compromise between conciliatory and steadfast theories regarding the epistemic significance of disagreement.
In addition to these research projects (and others) in epistemology, I have also undertaken projects in early modern philosophy. My main project in modern philosophy focuses on Hume’s epistemology. One of the main interpretive puzzles in Hume concerns how best to reconcile his naturalism and skepticism. My research defends the thesis that a key aspect of Hume’s epistemology is a sophisticated externalist account of epistemic defeat. When this account of defeat is combined with his psychology of reflection it directly supports the importance of epistemic humility. This explains the skeptical passages we find in the Treatise. Hume’s skeptical passages are not in tension with his naturalism and externalism, but are rather an illustration of how his naturalism and externalism together vindicate epistemic humility as a critical epistemic virtue.
My work in modern philosophy has had a tremendous impact on my contemporary thinking as well. For instance, due to my work on Hume I am now developing a paper discussing the importance of studying skepticism. I argue that one of the values of studying skepticism is that it promotes the virtue of intellectual humility. After presenting the case for such a connection I also discuss the nature of this humility, its connection to other intellectual virtues such as open-mindedness, and discuss its relevance to our current social context (especially how we approach issues within the political realm).
A central part of my project involves elucidating the nature of acquaintance so as to mitigate worries of “mysteriousness.” My research argues against views that acquaintance is a sui generic relation and views that identify acquaintance with phenomenal consciousness. I develop an alternative I call the “Attention Availability Model”: a subject S is acquainted with X when X is available for uptake by S’s attention mechanisms. This model: (i) resolves the problem of the speckled hen while preserving internist motivations, (ii) makes acquaintance naturalistically acceptable, and (iii) vindicates a conceptual tie between having a reason and having the ability to use that reason to form a belief (which helps to provide a novel resolution of the Sellarsian dilemma for foundationalism).
My “Attention Availability Model” helps to mitigate concerns about the mysteriousness of acquaintance. However, I also argue that positing such a relation has theoretical benefits. My paper “Is Justification Easy or Impossible?” in Synthese develops one of these in detail: positing acquaintance resolves problems surrounding bootstrapping. My research in progress also suggests that an appeal to acquaintance can also provide an internalist compromise between conciliatory and steadfast theories regarding the epistemic significance of disagreement.
In addition to these research projects (and others) in epistemology, I have also undertaken projects in early modern philosophy. My main project in modern philosophy focuses on Hume’s epistemology. One of the main interpretive puzzles in Hume concerns how best to reconcile his naturalism and skepticism. My research defends the thesis that a key aspect of Hume’s epistemology is a sophisticated externalist account of epistemic defeat. When this account of defeat is combined with his psychology of reflection it directly supports the importance of epistemic humility. This explains the skeptical passages we find in the Treatise. Hume’s skeptical passages are not in tension with his naturalism and externalism, but are rather an illustration of how his naturalism and externalism together vindicate epistemic humility as a critical epistemic virtue.
My work in modern philosophy has had a tremendous impact on my contemporary thinking as well. For instance, due to my work on Hume I am now developing a paper discussing the importance of studying skepticism. I argue that one of the values of studying skepticism is that it promotes the virtue of intellectual humility. After presenting the case for such a connection I also discuss the nature of this humility, its connection to other intellectual virtues such as open-mindedness, and discuss its relevance to our current social context (especially how we approach issues within the political realm).
