Contextualism in Epistemology

Author(s):  
Geoffrey Pynn

In epistemology, contextualism is the view that the truth-conditions of knowledge claims vary with the contexts in which those claims are made. This article surveys the main arguments for contextualism, describes a variety of different approaches to developing the view, and discusses how contextualism has been used to treat the problem of radical skepticism. Many different objections to contextualism have appeared since the view first achieved prominence. This article explores and responds to a range of objections to contextualism, focusing particularly those arising from aspects of the linguistic behavior of the word “know” and its cognates. Finally, several alternatives to contextualism are described, including: traditional invariantism, contextualism’s original opponent; subject-sensitive invariantism, which emerged as a way of accommodating the primary data that motivates contextualism within an invariantist framework; and relativism, a new competitor according to which the truth-conditions of knowledge claims vary not with the context in which they are made, but the context in which they are assessed.

2020 ◽  
pp. 97-130
Author(s):  
Jody Azzouni

The usage evidence—various scenarios that realistically depict where and when we attribute knowledge to ourselves and others—shows that all the alternatives (epistemic contextualism, subject-sensitive invariantism, knowledge relativism) to intellectual invariantism fail. They fail for several reasons: When cases are compared, speaker-hearers tend to retract one or the other conflicting knowledge claim; the intuitions elicited by various cases don’t consistently satisfy any particular position; the situations under which speaker-hearers retract knowledge claims under pressure seem to support an invariantist position. Nevertheless, no standard invariantist position seems supported by the usage data because speaker-hearers do seem to shift because of differences either in the interests of the agents to whom knowledge is attributed, for example, oneself, or because of other apparently non-epistemic reasons. Attempts to use pragmatic tools, such as implicatures, to handle the apparent shifts in knowledge standards are shown to fail as well.


2021 ◽  
Vol 64 (4) ◽  
pp. 99-109
Author(s):  
Jelena Pavlicic

A substantial share of recent semantic and epistemological debates is focused on the description and analysis of ways to defend the thesis that changes in truth conditions of knowledge claims enfold on the back of subjective parameters. The broad popularity of this thesis - which runs contrary to the notion that variation in truth value is independent of informal factors - is a result of the belief that it offers a sustainable methodological framework for responding to the skeptic?s doubts. This paper begins by sketching the key points which serve to illustrate the nature of this antiskeptical strategy. Further on, the paper describes three problems the strategy faces, as well as attempts to address them by articulating a meta-linguistical thesis on truth conditions of knowledge attribution sentences. The aim of the paper is to reconstruct the project of the meta-linguistical analysis, point to its specifics and flaws, and answer the question of what it achieves.


2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 69-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
René van Woudenberg ◽  
Jeroen de Ridder

It is often claimed that, as a result of scientific progress, we now know that the natural world displays no design. Although we have no interest in defending design hypotheses, we will argue that establishing claims to the effect that we know the denials of design hypotheses is more difficult than it seems. We do so by issuing two skeptical challenges to design-deniers. The first challenge draws inspiration from radical skepticism and shows how design claims are at least as compelling as radical skeptical scenarios in undermining knowledge claims, and in fact probably more so. The second challenge takes its cue from skeptical theism and shows how we are typically not in an epistemic position to rule out design.


Author(s):  
Bernd Schulte ◽  
Christina Lindemann ◽  
Angela Buchholz ◽  
Anke Rosahl ◽  
Martin Härter ◽  
...  

Abstract. Background: The German Guideline on Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorders aims to increase the uptake of evidence-based interventions for the early identification, diagnosis, prevention and treatment of alcohol-related disorders in relevant healthcare settings. To date, dissemination has not been accompanied by a guideline implementation strategy. The aim of this study is to develop tailored guideline implementation strategies and to field-test these in relevant medical and psycho-social settings in the city of Bremen, Germany. Methods: The study will conduct an impact and needs assessment of healthcare provision for alcohol use orders in Bremen, drawing on a range of secondary and primary data to: evaluate existing healthcare services; model the potential impact of improved care on public health outcomes; and identify potential barriers and facilitators to implementing evidence-based guidelines. Community advisory boards will be established for the selection of single-component or multi-faceted guideline implementation strategies. The tailoring approach considers guideline, provider and organizational factors shaping implementation. In field tests quality outcome indicators of the delivery of evidence-based interventions will be evaluated accompanied by a process evaluation to examine patient, provider and organizational factors. Outlook: This project will support the translation of guideline recommendations for the identification, prevention and treatment of AUD in routine practice and therefore contributes to the reduction of alcohol-related burden in Germany. The project is running since October 2017 and will provide its main outcomes by end of 2020. Project results will be published in scientific journals and presented at national and international conferences.


2019 ◽  
Vol 227 (1) ◽  
pp. 64-82 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Voracek ◽  
Michael Kossmeier ◽  
Ulrich S. Tran

Abstract. Which data to analyze, and how, are fundamental questions of all empirical research. As there are always numerous flexibilities in data-analytic decisions (a “garden of forking paths”), this poses perennial problems to all empirical research. Specification-curve analysis and multiverse analysis have recently been proposed as solutions to these issues. Building on the structural analogies between primary data analysis and meta-analysis, we transform and adapt these approaches to the meta-analytic level, in tandem with combinatorial meta-analysis. We explain the rationale of this idea, suggest descriptive and inferential statistical procedures, as well as graphical displays, provide code for meta-analytic practitioners to generate and use these, and present a fully worked real example from digit ratio (2D:4D) research, totaling 1,592 meta-analytic specifications. Specification-curve and multiverse meta-analysis holds promise to resolve conflicting meta-analyses, contested evidence, controversial empirical literatures, and polarized research, and to mitigate the associated detrimental effects of these phenomena on research progress.


2019 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 67-81
Author(s):  
Douglas A. Kibbee ◽  
Alan Craig

We define prescription as any intervention in the way another person speaks. Long excluded from linguistics as unscientific, prescription is in fact a natural part of linguistic behavior. We seek to understand the logic and method of prescriptivism through the study of usage manuals: their authors, sources and audience; their social context; the categories of “errors” targeted; the justification for correction; the phrasing of prescription; the relationship between demonstrated usage and the usage prescribed; the effect of the prescription. Our corpus is a collection of about 30 usage manuals in the French tradition. Eventually we hope to create a database permitting easy comparison of these features.


2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-88
Author(s):  
Tyas Tunjung Sari ◽  
Pandu Nuansa Luhur

This study aims to determine the motivation of work to mediate the effect of training and work environment on employee performance at PT. Telkom Witel Yogyakarta Yogyakarta. The purpose of this study is to determine and analyze 1) the effect of training on employee performance at PT. Telkom Witel Yogyakarta 2) the effect of training on employee performance through motivation at PT. Telkom Witel Yogyakarta 3) the influence of the work environment on employee performance at PT. Telkom Witel Yogyakarta 4) the influence of the work environment on employee performance through motivation at PT. Telkom Witel Yogyakarta. This study uses primary data through research on 62 respondents. Structural Equation is used to analyze data, using PLS (Partial Least Square) version 2.0. The results of this study indicate that there are 1) positive and significant influence of training on employee performance 2) positive and significant influence of work environment on employee performance 3) positive and significant effect of training on employee performance through motivation 4) positive and significant influence of work environment on employee performance through motivation.


2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-50
Author(s):  
Dewi Kusuma Wardani ◽  
Ratih Ranika Putri Utami

This study aims to determine the effect of transparency in financial management of village funds and community empowerment on community welfare in Sidoharjo Village, Tepus District, Gunungkidul Regency. This research method uses quantitative descriptive methods and primary data using questionnaires. This study took a sample of residents who were divided into 11 hamlets in Sidoharjo Village, Tepus District, Gunung kidul Regency. The sampling technique is stratified random sampling. Data collection is done by distributing questionnaires directly to people’s homes, attending social gatherings and routine meetings held by community members. It aims to obtain more data from respondents directly. The number of questionnaires processed was 120 questionnaires. Data were analyzed using multiple linear regression analysis. The results of this study indicate that community empowerment has a positive effect on the welfare of the people of Sidoharjo Village, Tepus District, Gunungkidul Regency, while transparency in financial management of village funds does not affect the welfare of the community in Sidoharjo Village, Tepus District, Gunungkidul Regency.


2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 140-153
Author(s):  
Resti Fadhilah Nurrohmah ◽  
Radia Purbayati

The purpose of this study was to study the level of Islamic financial literacy and public confidence in the interest in saving in Islamic banks. The variables in this study are the level of Islamic financial literacy (X1), public trust (X2), and interest in saving (Y).The method of this study is descriptive quantitative approach. The data source of this study are primary data obtained by distributing questionnaires. Respondents taken are residents in the city of Bandung, with samples domiciled in the city of Bandung and at least 17 years old. The data analysis technique uses multiple linear regression analysis. The results showed that the variable level of islamic financial literacy and public trust has positive effect in the interest in saving in Islamic banks. The findings in this study provide a reference to Islamic banks, the level of literacy and public trust regarding interest in saving, therefore Islamic banks must socialize to the public.


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