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Cognitive epistemology : Knowledge as a natural phenomenon

Stephens, Andreas LU orcid (2024)
Abstract
This thesis investigates the question ‘What is knowledge?’ In intuition-based epistemology the question is often considered to concern how ‘knowledge’ is used linguistically or conceptually rather than what knowledge is. In addition, since intuitions are used as evidence despite empirical experiments indicating that people’s intuitions vary a great deal and that little conclusive systematicity can be found, it is argued that approaches with such a focus cannot provide a solid foundation to answer the initial question.

By instead looking at naturalistic approaches, a pluralistic cognitive epistemological approach which accepts ontological naturalism, methodological cooperative naturalism, and evolutionary epistemology can be... (More)
This thesis investigates the question ‘What is knowledge?’ In intuition-based epistemology the question is often considered to concern how ‘knowledge’ is used linguistically or conceptually rather than what knowledge is. In addition, since intuitions are used as evidence despite empirical experiments indicating that people’s intuitions vary a great deal and that little conclusive systematicity can be found, it is argued that approaches with such a focus cannot provide a solid foundation to answer the initial question.

By instead looking at naturalistic approaches, a pluralistic cognitive epistemological approach which accepts ontological naturalism, methodological cooperative naturalism, and evolutionary epistemology can be identified. Given this approach – close to that of Hilary Kornblith – it is possible to look at how various relevant sciences see the natural phenomenon of knowledge. This provides a complement to Kornblith’s sole focus on cognitive ethology. By also including the perspectives of cognitive psychology and evolutionary systems theory a new view of knowledge is made possible.

The emerging picture indicates that the natural phenomenon of knowledge plausibly can be seen as consisting in dynamic internal survival-beneficial structures.
For higher organisms, such structures importantly involve reflexive and reflective memory processes that (satisficingly) reliably produce (satisficingly) true beliefs. (Less)
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author
supervisor
opponent
  • professor Klemens Kappel, Köpenhamns universitet
organization
publishing date
type
Thesis
publication status
published
subject
keywords
knowledge, cognitive epistemology, naturalistic epistemology, cognitive psychology, evolutionary systems theory
pages
184 pages
publisher
Lund University (Media-Tryck)
defense location
LUX B152
defense date
2024-05-10 13:15:00
ISBN
978-91-89874-02-2
978-91-89874-03-9
project
Cognitive Epistemology
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
f8360193-8c18-41d1-8c91-79117103fce3
date added to LUP
2024-03-22 11:03:41
date last changed
2024-04-12 03:01:56
@phdthesis{f8360193-8c18-41d1-8c91-79117103fce3,
  abstract     = {{This thesis investigates the question ‘What is knowledge?’ In intuition-based epistemology the question is often considered to concern how ‘knowledge’ is used linguistically or conceptually rather than what knowledge is. In addition, since intuitions are used as evidence despite empirical experiments indicating that people’s intuitions vary a great deal and that little conclusive systematicity can be found, it is argued that approaches with such a focus cannot provide a solid foundation to answer the initial question.<br/><br/>By instead looking at naturalistic approaches, a pluralistic cognitive epistemological approach which accepts ontological naturalism, methodological cooperative naturalism, and evolutionary epistemology can be identified. Given this approach – close to that of Hilary Kornblith – it is possible to look at how various relevant sciences see the natural phenomenon of knowledge. This provides a complement to Kornblith’s sole focus on cognitive ethology. By also including the perspectives of cognitive psychology and evolutionary systems theory a new view of knowledge is made possible.<br/><br/>The emerging picture indicates that the natural phenomenon of knowledge plausibly can be seen as consisting in dynamic internal survival-beneficial structures.<br/>For higher organisms, such structures importantly involve reflexive and reflective memory processes that (satisficingly) reliably produce (satisficingly) true beliefs.}},
  author       = {{Stephens, Andreas}},
  isbn         = {{978-91-89874-02-2}},
  keywords     = {{knowledge; cognitive epistemology; naturalistic epistemology; cognitive psychology; evolutionary systems theory}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{05}},
  publisher    = {{Lund University (Media-Tryck)}},
  school       = {{Lund University}},
  title        = {{Cognitive epistemology : Knowledge as a natural phenomenon}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/177837031/Cognitive_Epistemology_-_Andreas_Stephens.pdf}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}