Non-Ideal Epistemology

Epistemologists often work with idealized pictures of inquirers, interactions, and social institutions, which can be problematic when addressing applied and practical topics. Robin McKenna argues for non-ideal epistemology, which eschews idealizations and develops distinctive approaches to important topics in applied and social epistemology. This illustrates why we need non-ideal epistemology and what it can do for us.

Format: Hardback
Length: 224 pages
Publication date: 18 April 2023
Publisher: Oxford University Press

Epistemologists frequently engage in the construction of idealized representations of inquirers, their interactions, and the social institutions and environments in which these interactions occur. While these idealizations can be useful in addressing foundational issues in epistemology, such as the theory of knowledge, they can become problematic when applied to practical and applied topics, such as public ignorance about important political and scientific issues or our obligations and responsibilities as inquirers.

A solution to a problem like public ignorance that may work in an ideal world can have disastrous consequences in the real world. Similarly, ways of interacting that would yield epistemic benefits in an epistemically just world may not be beneficial in an epistemically unjust world. Author Robin McKenna argues that to avoid these problems, we need to make space for non-ideal epistemology, a way of doing epistemology that eschews the idealizations typical in much contemporary epistemology.

However, non-ideal epistemology is not merely an exercise in philosophical methodology. McKenna also develops distinctive approaches to a range of important topics in applied and social epistemology, such as what to do about science denial, whether we should strive to be intellectually autonomous, and what our obligations are to other inquirers. The result is an illustration of why we need non-ideal epistemology and what it can do for us.

In conclusion, epistemologists must be aware of the limitations of idealized representations and must strive to develop non-ideal epistemologies that can address the practical and applied challenges of our time. By doing so, we can better understand the world around us and our place in it.

Weight: 506g
Dimension: 164 x 242 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780192888822