“Work on causal theories of knowledge - early work by Armstrong, and Dretske, and Goldman - seemed far more satisfying. As I started to see the ways in which work in the cognitive sciences could inform our understanding of central epistemological issues, my whole idea of what the philosophical enterprise is all about began to change. Quine certainly played a role here, as did Putnam's (pre-1975) work in philosophy of science, and the exciting developments that went on in that time in philosophy of mind.” WayMindIdeasPhilosophyWholeUnderstandingRolesIssuesTheoryDevelopmentExcitingPhilosophicalEnterpriseSatisfyingCognitivePhilosophy Of ScienceArmstrongCognitive ScienceEarly WorkTheory Of Knowledge Author:Hilary Kornblith
“The role of empirical work in informing our philosophical theories, as I see it, is not that it gives us a better view of our folk concepts, but that it gives us a better view of knowledge, and the mind, and so on.” GivingMindViewsRolesTheoryConceptsPhilosophicalFolksInforming Author:Hilary Kornblith
“So I do, of course, reject much that is central not only to the psychology of Descartes and Kant, but to their epistemology as well. No doubt, the best available theories of today will look primitive in comparison with what we are in a position to understand hundreds of years from now.” YearsWellsLooksTodayCoursesDoubtPsychologyPositionTheoryAvailableNo DoubtComparisonRejectsPrimitiveEpistemology Author:Hilary Kornblith
“What we need to do, however, is figure out what our best available theories of the mind suggest about epistemological issues, while we recognise that we may need to change our views on these questions as new evidence comes in.” NeedsMindMayViewsIssuesFiguresTheoryEvidenceAvailableRecogniseNeed A Change Author:Hilary Kornblith
“I have made some headway in addressing these questions, however, and succeeded in explaining how it is that the category of knowledge might play an important role in empirical theories. To the extent that talk of knowledge can be shown to play an explanatory role in such theories, the analogy I wish to make with paradigm natural kinds such as acids and aluminum starts to make a good deal of sense. This is, of course, connected with the issue of the role of intuitions in philosophy.” KindMadeImportantPhilosophyPlayMightCoursesWishNaturalDealsRolesIssuesTheoryConnectedIntuitionCategoriesExplainingAcidParadigmAnalogiesAluminum Author:Hilary Kornblith
“Bealer argues that the kind of naturalistic view which Quine holds will rob him of the ability to make the normative claims which (many) naturalists wish to make in epistemology. I don't think this is right about Quine, but I'm certain it's not right about my own view. To the extent that I can show that talk of knowledge is firmly rooted within empirical theories where it plays an important explanatory role, I thereby demonstrate its naturalistic credentials.” ThinkingKindI CanImportantPlayShowsCertainWishMy OwnAbilityViewsRolesTheoryClaimsArguingRootedEpistemologyNaturalistCredentials Author:Hilary Kornblith
“What I argue is that talk of knowledge plays an important role in theories within cognitive ethology. The idea is this. First, one sees cognitive ethologists arguing that we need to attribute propositional attitudes to some animals in order to explain the sophistication of their cognitive achievements.” NeedsFirstsImportantIdeasPlayOrderAnimalAttitudeRolesTheoryAchievementArguingAttributesCognitiveSophistication Author:Hilary Kornblith
“Ethologists thus have an interest in looking at these capacities for the reliable acquisition of belief, and it is not surprising that they have a name for the true beliefs which are the typical product of these reliable capacities. They call them items of knowledge. So I argue that talk of knowledge may thereby be seen to be embedded within a successful empirical theory.” MayNamesBeliefInterestSuccessfulProductsTheoryCapacityArguingSurprisingTypicalItemsAcquisitionEmbedded Author:Hilary Kornblith
“The fact that these scientific theories have a fine track record of successful prediction and explanation speaks for itself. (Which is not to say that I don't directly discuss the work of those philosophers who would disagree.) But even if we grant this, many will argue that scientific knowledge in humans, and, indeed, reflective knowledge in general, is quite different in kind from the knowledge we see in other animals.” IfsHumansKindDifferentFactsSpeakAnimalSuccessfulRecordsTheoryFineTrackPhilosopherArguingExplanationGrantsDisagreePredictionsScientific KnowledgeScientific TheoryTrack Record Author:Hilary Kornblith
“My own reasons for favouring talk of natural kinds is just that I believe the best accounts of the success of scientific theories presupposes the existence of natural kinds.” BelieveKindReasonI BelieveNaturalMy OwnExistenceTheoryAccountsScientific Theory Author:Hilary Kornblith
