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Quote by Ernest Sosa

“When there are conflicts of observation, when experiments cannot be replicated, scientists may then retreat to a study of the various specific observations so as to explain the conflict, in the course of which they would make use of the concept of observation, or of some specification of that concept.”

Quote by Ernest Sosa

Author

Ernest Sosa is a renowned philosopher, born on June 17, 1940. His research focuses on metaphysics, epistemology, and moral philosophy. more

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“The concept of intuition is more often used in philosophical theorizing than is the concept of observation in scientific theorizing (proportionately). One reason is that there is (proportionately) more ostensible conflict of philosophical intuitions than there is ostensible conflict of scientific observations. So much for the use of a concept of intuition in philosophical theorizing.”

Reason Use Used Conflict Concepts Philosophical Intuition Observation

Author:Ernest Sosa

“Intuitive seeming is in my view an attraction to assent based on nothing more than understanding of the content that upon consideration attracts one's assent. But such understanding-based attraction can differ dramatically in epistemic quality. Some such attractions represent nothing more than superstition or bias absorbed from the culture, sans ratiocination.”

Culture Understanding Views Quality Attraction Consideration Superstitions Bias Intuitive Seeming

Author:Ernest Sosa

“If we have a better understanding of knowledge than we do of such justification or competence, then we can explain the latter through the former.”

Ifs Understanding Former Latter Justification Competence

Author:Ernest Sosa

“Epistemic competence might be posterior to knowledge conceptually, however, while still prior metaphysically.”

Stills Might Competence

Author:Ernest Sosa

“Animal knowledge is metaphysically constituted by apt belief, by belief whose correctness manifests the believer's epistemic competence, a relevant disposition to get it right on the matter at hand when one tries to do so.”

Trying Matter Hands Belief Animal Believer Relevant Disposition Competence Correctness

Author:Ernest Sosa

“In my view (animal) knowledge is apt belief, where not only the belief (its existence and content) but also its correctness is creditable to the subject's competence.”

Belief Animal Views Existence Subjects Competence Correctness

Author:Ernest Sosa

“The correctness of much testimonially based belief is no more than minimally creditable to the believer.”

Belief Believer Correctness

Author:Ernest Sosa

“Compare the credit for a football touchdown, which might be shared by the receiver not only with the quarterback, but also with the linesmen who make crucial protective plays, etc. The success of the touchdown play depends on the receiver, it is true; but in a particular case it might depend far more on the work of others.”

Play Might Cases Football Particular Depends Credit Compare Etc Crucial Protective Quarterback Receiver Touchdowns

Author:Ernest Sosa

“When I accept someone's testimony, I am thus only a small part of the full seat of epistemic competence, which might include many others in a long chain. My own contribution might then be slight, just through the perceptual and linguistic competence involved in knowing what someone is saying or writing, etc.”

Writing Long Might My Own Accepting Knowing Involved Chains Contribution Seats Etc Testimony Competence Small Parts

Author:Ernest Sosa

“Epistemology now flourishes with various complementary approaches. This includes formal epistemology, experimental philosophy, cognitive science and psychology, including relevant brain science, and other philosophical subfields, such as metaphysics, action theory, language, and mind. It is not as though all questions of armchair, traditional epistemology are already settled conclusively, with unanimity or even consensus. We still need to reason our way together to a better view of those issues.”