Skip to product information
1 of 1

Nathaniel P. Sharadin

Epistemic Instrumentalism Explained

Epistemic Instrumentalism Explained

💎 Earn 737 Points (£7.37) on this item.

Important: Dispatches within 2 to 4 weeks
Regular price £147.56 GBP
Regular price £155.00 GBP Sale price £147.56 GBP
Sale Sold out
Taxes included. Shipping calculated at checkout.

YOU SAVE £7.44

  • Condition: Brand new
  • UK Delivery times: Usually arrives within 2 - 3 working days
  • UK Shipping: Fee starts at £2.39. Subject to product weight & dimension

Bulk ordering. Want 15 or more copies? Get a personalised quote and bigger discounts. Learn more about bulk orders.

  • More about Epistemic Instrumentalism Explained


Epistemic instrumentalists argue that epistemic requirements vary with facts about what promotes agents' well-being, but this contempt is misguided and fails to distinguish between first- and second-order epistemic instrumentalism. Nathaniel P. Sharadin argues for rejecting epistemic instrumentalism as a first-order view due to explanatory failures, while offering a second-order instrumentalist explanation for epistemic authority that is neutral between competing first-order epistemic theories. He also argues that instrumentalists can adopt epistemic ecologism to explain why being epistemically correct matters.

Format: Hardback
Length: 200 pages
Publication date: 15 July 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd


Epistemic requirements, according to epistemic instrumentalists, do vary in tandem with facts about what promotes agents' well-being. This viewpoint has garnered significant disdain, which is misguided on two counts. Firstly, the reasons typically offered for this contempt are incorrect. Secondly, it fails to distinguish between first-order and second-order epistemic instrumentalism, and mistakenly holds the latter view contemptible. In his book, Nathaniel P. Sharadin presents a compelling argument for rejecting epistemic instrumentalism as a first-order view. He does not argue against it solely on the basis of extensional failures but also on the basis of explanatory shortcomings. Sharadin contends that epistemic instrumentalism offers a natural and straightforward explanation of why being epistemically correct is important. What emerges is a second-order instrumentalist explanation for epistemic authority that is neutral between competing first-order epistemic theories. This neutrality is seen as an advantage. However, Sharadin draws on work from cognitive science and psychology to argue that instrumentalists can abandon this neutrality and adopt a view he calls epistemic ecologism. Epistemic Instrumentalism Explained will be of interest to researchers and advanced students working in epistemology, ethics, and philosophy of mind.

Weight: 540g
Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367558802

This item can be found in:

UK and International shipping information

UK Delivery and returns information:

  • Delivery within 2 - 3 days when ordering in the UK.
  • Shipping fee for UK customers from £2.39. Fully tracked shipping service available.
  • Returns policy: Return within 30 days of receipt for full refund.

International deliveries:

Shulph Ink now ships to Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, India, Luxembourg Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Netherlands, New Zealand, United Arab Emirates, United States of America.

  • Delivery times: within 5 - 10 days for international orders.
  • Shipping fee: charges vary for overseas orders. Only tracked services are available for most international orders. Some countries have untracked shipping options.
  • Customs charges: If ordering to addresses outside the United Kingdom, you may or may not incur additional customs and duties fees during local delivery.
View full details