Date of Award
2014
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelors
Department
Humanities
First Advisor
Edidin, Aron
Keywords
Epistemology, Social Practice, Philosophy
Area of Concentration
Philosophy
Abstract
One of the classic issues in the field of epistemology is the question of how we are justified in holding the beliefs that we do in fact hold. Traditionally, epistemologists, drawing from the tradition of Descartes and Locke, have thought that this question is to be answered purely by internal reflection. In this thesis, I argue for a conception of justification that takes its explanatory starting point on the social practices surrounding the act of discursive justification, turning the traditional individualist conception of justification on its head. This often been seen as a mere changing of the subject from the traditional epistemological concerns. However, I argue that once we dispose of the challenge of global epistemological skepticism, we can successfully address these very same concerns by thinking about the question in terms of our social practices of justification.
Recommended Citation
Simonelli, Ryan, "COMMON GROUND AND DISCURSIVE JUSTIFICATION: Approaching the Traditional Epistemological Questions from an Untraditional Angle" (2014). Theses & ETDs. 4945.
https://digitalcommons.ncf.edu/theses_etds/4945