pragmatic-validation
The idea that justification of objective knowledge claims ultimately depends on pragmatic and evolutionary considerations rather than purely causal ones.
1 chapter across 1 book
Epistemology: An Introduction to the Theory of Knowledge (2003)Nicholas Rescher
Chapter 4 examines the epistemic justification of objective knowledge claims from a functionalistic and naturalistic perspective, emphasizing the persistent gap between subjective experience and objective fact. It critiques the causal epistemology approach for its reliance on an assumed truth to justify beliefs and proposes a distinction between weak and strong epistemic justification, arguing that experience alone can only provide weak justification for objective claims. The chapter suggests that pragmatic and evolutionary considerations, rather than purely causal ones, are necessary for validating knowledge claims.