Epistemic Explanations

Epistemic Explanations develops an improved virtue epistemology and uses it to explain several epistemic phenomena. Part I lays out a telic virtue epistemology that accommodates varieties of knowledge and understanding particularly pertinent to the humanities. Part II develops an epistemology of suspension of judgment, by relating it to degrees of confidence and to inquiry. Part III develops a substantially improved telic virtue epistemology by appeal to default assumptions important in domains of human performance generally, and in our intellectual lives as a special case. This reconfigures earlier virtue epistemology, which now seems a first approximation. This part also introduces a metaphysical hierarchy of epistemic categories and defends in particular a category of secure knowledge.

Expectations created by Sosa's previous work will be extremely high, but the book does not disappointDLSosa's discussion is masterful. The book is full of ingenious arguments and acute insights that will occupy epistemologists for years to come.... Sosa has once again succeeded in changing the terms of contemporary epistemology, while at the same time raising the bar on quality and depth of insight., No one has done more for analytic virtue epistemology than Ernie Sosa; indeed, one is tempted to delete 'virtue'. This is his latest development of his teleological version of the virtue-theoretic perspective. It is characteristically excellent and will no doubt be a classic contribution to epistemology. I highly recommend it.

Born in Cuba, Ernest Sosa immigrated to the USA as a teenager. After his BA from the University of Miami, and his PhD from the University of Pittsburgh, he has taught at Brown University and then at Rutgers, each for decades. During that time he has had numerous dissertation students who have attained distinction. He was a President of the American Philosophical Association (Eastern) and was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 1980 he inaugurated the virtue theoretic approach in epistemology, which he has developed through a half dozen books, many published articles, and replies in many author/critic sessions and books. He has given several distinguished lectures, including the Locke and the Carus Lectures, and has received several prizes. The APA has established a prize lectureship and a fellowship in his honor for excellence in epistemology.