Epistemic Principles

Epistemic Principles: A Primer of the Theory of Knowledge presents a compact account of the basic principles of the theory of knowledge. In doing this, Nicholas Rescher aims to fill the current gap in contemporary philosophical theory of knowledge with a comprehensive analysis of epistemological fundamentals. The book is not a mere inventory of such rules and principles, but rather interweaves them into a continuous exposition of basic issues. Written at a user-friendly and accessible level, Epistemic Principles is an essential addition for both advanced undergraduate and graduate courses in epistemology.

Preface - Introduction - Principles - Questions - Ideas - Principles of Truth and Acceptance - Presumption as a Pathway to Plausibility - Conjecture and the Move from Mere Plausibility and Presumption to Acceptance - Plausibility Conflicts and Paradox - From Conjecture to Belief and from Belief to Knowledge - The Epistemic Gap and Grades of Acceptance - Cognitive Thresholds - Imprecision - Intuitive Knowledge - Experience and Induction - Distributive vs. Collective Explanation - Cognitive Importance - Problems of Prediction - Error and Cognitive Risk - Problems of Skepticism - Trust - Common Sense - How Science Works - Scientific Realism and Its Problems - The Anthomorphic Contextuality of Science - Ignorance and Limits of Knowledge - On Systemic "Best Fit" Reasoning - Inference from the Best Systematization - The Cyclic Unity of Reason - Fact, Fiction, and Functional Surrogacy - A Pragmatic Coda - Bibliography - Name Index.