Document Type
Article
Publication Title
Principia
ISSN
1414-4247 – Paper edition
Volume
8
Issue
2
First Page
193
211
Publication Date
12-2004
Abstract
Edward Craig has proposed that epistemology should eschew traditional
conceptual analysis in favor of what he calls “conceptual synthesis.” He
proposes we start not from the finding of necessary and sufficient conditions
that match our intuitions; rather we start from considerations on what the
concept of knowledge does for us. In this paper I will explore one aspect of
Craig’s proposal – the good informant. It is this aspect that is central to
Craig’s epistemic method and perhaps most problematic. I will evaluate this
concept by first articulating three initial worries that some have had about
the concept and then show how each of the initial worries can be quelled by
looking deeper into the features of what Craig’s proposal is. I then assess
Craig’s proposal on its own terms by looking at the concept of a good informant
in light of the criteria for an adequate explication. What I will show is
that while there is much to be sympathetic with in Craig’s proposal, there
are some open questions that need to be solved in order to say that an adequate
explication has been reached.
Recommended Citation
McBain, James, "Epistemic Analysis and the Possibility of Good Informants" (2004). Faculty Submissions. 23.
https://digitalcommons.pittstate.edu/phil_faculty/23
