Knowledge, justification, belief, and suspension

Journal article

Littlejohn, Clayton. (2021). Knowledge, justification, belief, and suspension. Philosophical Topics. 49(2), pp. 371-384. https://doi.org/10.5840/PHILTOPICS202149230
AuthorsLittlejohn, Clayton
Abstract

In this paper, I want to discuss a problem that arises when we try to understand the connections between justification, knowledge, and suspension. The problem arises because some prima facie plausible claims about knowledge and the justification for judging and suspending are difficult to reconcile with the possibility of a kind of knowledge or apt belief that a thinker cannot aptly judge to be within her reach. I shall argue that if we try (as we should) to accommodate the possibility of this kind of knowledge, we should reject a widely held view about justification. We can correct this mistaken view about the connection between justification and knowledge by connecting justification to a kind of competence, but not the one we might have expected. In the course of this discussion, I shall flag some questions about the explanatory ambitions of the telic virtue-theoretic approach.

Year2021
JournalPhilosophical Topics
Journal citation49 (2), pp. 371-384
PublisherUniversity of Arkansas Press
ISSN0276-2080
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.5840/PHILTOPICS202149230
Scopus EID2-s2.0-85135832884
Open accessPublished as green open access
Page range371-384
Author's accepted manuscript
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All rights reserved
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Open
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Controlled
Output statusPublished
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Online2021
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Deposited18 May 2023
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