Professor Alvin Goldman
Professor of Philosophy
Rutgers University
"Externalism, Internalism and the Architecture of Justification"
ABSTRACT. What determines the justificational status of a person’s belief? Are such determinants internal matters, external matters, or a combination of the two? These questions have generated the controversy between internalism and externalism in contemporary epistemology. In addressing these issues, several definitional options must be considered. What exactly is meant by a determinant of justification (a “justifier”), and what qualifies a factor as an internal or external factor? Taking alternative definitional options into account, the paper argues for a predominantly externalist approach to justifiedness. A natural architecture for justification holds that a token belief (or other doxastic state) is justified just in case it conforms to the right system of justificational rules, where justificational rules provide guidance or instruction for forming or retaining doxastic states. The paper inquires into the kinds of conditions that would be specified by right justificational rules. It argues that some of these conditions are likely be internalist but others externalist. Moreover, which rules are right is itself (plausibly) a determinant of justifiedness, but this is also likely to be an external state of affairs. Finally, the criterion or standard of rightness is also (plausibly) a determinant of justifiedness, but it too is likely to be an external factor.
Tuesday 8th April 2008 at 5pm in Faculty Room South of the David Hume Tower.
Sponsored by Philosophy. This event is hosted by the Epistemology research cluster.
