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Surprising suspensions: the epistemic value of being ignorant
Descriptive
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Title
Surprising suspensions: the epistemic value of being ignorant
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Willard-Kyle
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Christopher
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Christopher Willard-Kyle
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Ernest
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Ernest Sosa
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chair
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McGrath
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Matthew
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Matthew McGrath
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internal member
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Schellenberg
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Susanna
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Susanna Schellenberg
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Lackey
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Jennifer
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Jennifer Lackey
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Rutgers University
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School of Graduate Studies
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theses
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ETD doctoral
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2021
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2021-01
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2021
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English
Abstract
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Knowledge is good, ignorance is bad. So it seems, anyway. But in this dissertation, I argue that some ignorance is epistemically valuable. Sometimes, we should suspend judgment even though by believing we would achieve knowledge. In this apology for ignorance (ignorance, that is, of a certain kind), I defend the following four theses:
1) Sometimes, we should continue inquiry in ignorance, even though we are in a position to know the answer, in order to achieve more than mere knowledge (e.g. understanding) while minimizing the effects of confirmation bias.
2) It’s false that we should believe every proposition such that we are guaranteed to be right about it (and even such that we are guaranteed to know it) if we believe it.
3) Being in a position to know is the norm of assertion: importantly, this does not require belief or (thereby) knowledge, so proper assertion can survive speaker-ignorance.
4) It can be permissible and conversationally useful to tell audiences things that it is logically impossible for them to come to know: Proper assertion can survive (necessary) audience-side ignorance.
Cumulatively, this project suggests that, properly understood, ignorance has an important role to play in the good epistemic life.
1) Sometimes, we should continue inquiry in ignorance, even though we are in a position to know the answer, in order to achieve more than mere knowledge (e.g. understanding) while minimizing the effects of confirmation bias.
2) It’s false that we should believe every proposition such that we are guaranteed to be right about it (and even such that we are guaranteed to know it) if we believe it.
3) Being in a position to know is the norm of assertion: importantly, this does not require belief or (thereby) knowledge, so proper assertion can survive speaker-ignorance.
4) It can be permissible and conversationally useful to tell audiences things that it is logically impossible for them to come to know: Proper assertion can survive (necessary) audience-side ignorance.
Cumulatively, this project suggests that, properly understood, ignorance has an important role to play in the good epistemic life.
Subject
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Topic
Ignorance
Subject
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Topic
Knowledge
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Topic
Infallibility
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Topic
Assertion
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Topic
Inquiry
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Topic
Position to know
Subject
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Topic
Delayed gratification
Subject
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Topic
Norm of assertion
Subject
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Topic
Moorean paradox
Subject
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Topic
Philosophy
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Rutgers University Electronic Theses and Dissertations
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School of Graduate Studies Electronic Theses and Dissertations
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rucore10001600001
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ETD_11303
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doi:10.7282/t3-w6fc-bs27
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1 online resource (viii, 190 pages)
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Ph.D.
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Includes bibliographical references
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Rights
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The author owns the copyright to this work.
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Name
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Willard-Kyle
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Christopher
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Permission or license
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2020-11-08 22:18:53
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Christopher Willard-Kyle
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Rutgers University. School of Graduate Studies
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Author Agreement License
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I hereby grant to the Rutgers University Libraries and to my school the non-exclusive right to archive, reproduce and distribute my thesis or dissertation, in whole or in part, and/or my abstract, in whole or in part, in and from an electronic format, subject to the release date subsequently stipulated in this submittal form and approved by my school. I represent and stipulate that the thesis or dissertation and its abstract are my original work, that they do not infringe or violate any rights of others, and that I make these grants as the sole owner of the rights to my thesis or dissertation and its abstract. I represent that I have obtained written permissions, when necessary, from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis or dissertation and will supply copies of such upon request by my school. I acknowledge that RU ETD and my school will not distribute my thesis or dissertation or its abstract if, in their reasonable judgment, they believe all such rights have not been secured. I acknowledge that I retain ownership rights to the copyright of my work. I also retain the right to use all or part of this thesis or dissertation in future works, such as articles or books.
Copyright
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Copyright protected
Availability
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Open
Reason
Permission or license
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2020-11-16T18:36:47
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2020-11-16T18:36:47
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