Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-7479d7b7d-68ccn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-15T05:07:47.343Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Part III - The nature of knowledge

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 June 2012

Linda Trinkaus Zagzebski
Affiliation:
Loyola Marymount University, California
Get access

Summary

Part I surveyed the use of ethical theory in epistemology, showed the advantages of a pure virtue theory, and distinguished this approach from that typically used in contemporary epistemology and from other forms of “virtue epistemology” Part II developed a theory of virtue and vice broad enough to handle epistemic as well as moral evaluation and showed how the concepts of justified belief and epistemic duty can be defined within the theory Now we turn to an investigation of the most critical concern of epistemology: the analysis of knowledge. We have already seen that the motivation to know is the most basic constituent of every intellectual virtue, and each intellectual virtue is constructed in such a way as to regularly lead to its end of attaining knowledge. Since intellectual virtues are forms of moral virtue, it follows that knowledge is intimately bound up with moral concepts, although it has not always been treated that way. In this, the final, part of the book, I begin by locating the concept of knowledge within the domain of ethics. I then propose a definition of knowledge and show how it is immune to Gettier problems. The theory is externalist according to the most common definition of externalism but has a stronger internalist aspect than the more common externalist theories. theory – and answer anticipated objections to my theory.

Type
Chapter
Information
Virtues of the Mind
An Inquiry into the Nature of Virtue and the Ethical Foundations of Knowledge
, pp. 259 - 340
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 1996

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×