Idealization in Epistemology: A Modest Modeling Approach

Epistemologists construct idealized models to approach knowledge and rational belief, but metaepistemological reflection on this practice is not common. Greco argues that idealization and model-building are essential to epistemology and that we can know a wide variety of facts with certainty, even though these models are simplifications and approximations.

Format: Hardback
Length: 208 pages
Publication date: 03 August 2023
Publisher: Oxford University Press

In epistemology, it is common to approach questions about knowledge and rational belief by employing idealized and simplified models. However, while the practice of constructing idealized models in epistemology has a long history, metaepistemological reflection on this practice is relatively recent. Greco contends that the act of epistemologists building idealized models goes beyond a mere metaepistemological observation that can remain unaffected by first-order epistemological debates. Instead, when we view epistemology through the lens of idealization and model-building, the landscape emerges in a distinct manner.

Constructing idealized models is likely the most effective approach that epistemologists can take. Once one begins to employ epistemological categories such as belief, knowledge, and confidence, the realm of idealization and model-building is entered. It is possible to object to a particular model of knowledge by suggesting a superior model, but without a better model available, the fact that a framework for epistemologizing involves simplifications, approximations, and other inaccuracies, simply because it is an idealized model, is not inherently objectionable.

Once we acknowledge that theorizing in epistemological terms is inherently idealized, a range of intriguing possibilities become available. Greco defends a set of epistemological views that may otherwise appear dismissive of our cognitive limitations. According to this package, we possess certainty about a wide range of facts, including the nature of our evidence, our knowledge, and the consequences of our knowledge.

In conclusion, the practice of constructing idealized models in epistemology is both ancient and well-established. While metaepistemological reflection on this practice is relatively recent, it offers a fresh perspective on epistemological inquiry. By viewing epistemology through the lens of idealization and model-building, we gain a deeper understanding of the field and its limitations. The construction of idealized models is an essential aspect of epistemological theorizing, and it is not inherently objectionable, as long as it is recognized as such. The possibilities opened up by this perspective are intriguing, and they suggest that there is still much to be explored and discovered in the realm of epistemology.

Weight: 474g
Dimension: 163 x 242 x 23 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780198860556