Anti-skepticism under a linguistic guise

Grindrod, J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8684-974X (2023) Anti-skepticism under a linguistic guise. Topoi, 42. pp. 163-174. ISSN 1572-8749 doi: 10.1007/s11245-022-09850-w

Abstract/Summary

In this paper I consider the plausibility of developing anti-skepticism by framing the question in linguistic terms: instead of asking whether we know, we ask what falls within the extension of the word “know”. I first trace two previous attempts to develop anti-skepticism in this way, from Austin (particularly as presented by Kaplan) and from epistemic contextualism, and I present reasons to think that both approaches are unsuccessful. I then focus on a more recently popular attempt to develop anti-skepticism from the “function-first” approach associated with Craig, which I also show to be problematic. I then argue that the apparent prima facie plausibility of fighting skepticism on linguistic grounds is due to a methodological spill-over from linguistics. Once we recognize this, it becomes clear that debate around skepticism should not be conducted in linguistic terms.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://reading-clone.eprints-hosting.org/id/eprint/108747
Identification Number/DOI	10.1007/s11245-022-09850-w
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	Arts, Humanities and Social Science > School of Humanities > Philosophy
Publisher	Springer
Download/View statistics	View download statistics for this item