Contemporary Debates in Epistemology 2nd Edition

“When Blackwell published the first edition of Contemporary Debates in Epistemology 2nd Edition in 2005, that volume very quickly became epistemology’s superego: it expressed the ideals that were implicit in the best recent epistemological work, and it served to guide both practicing and apprenticing epistemologists to the questions that mattered most to the field back then. Of course, the questions that matter most in 2013 are not exactly the same as those that mattered most in 2005; thus, the need for a new edition. I expect that this new edition ― which contains units on the now widely discussed issues of whether knowledge is epistemologically fundamental, whether practical concerns encroach on epistemic status, whether evidential justification is permissive, what sort of epistemic luck (if any) is incompatible with knowledge ― will serve to guide epistemological practice for the next several years, and with at least as much authority as the first edition. The contributors are among the most prominent in the field, and their contributions represent some of the best work being done on the topics under discussion. If you want to contribute to the most important epistemological conversations today, you will need to read this book.”

―Ram Neta, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Praise for the First Edition

“This book is packed with cutting-edge epistemology by excellent contributors to the field. It is both comprehensive and admirably brief.”

― Robert Audi, University of Notre Dame

“What are the burning problems of today’s epistemology? What are the most promising solutions to these problems? They are all in this timely volume, explained and debated by leading authorities.”

―Alvin Goldman, Rutgers University

“With leading and emerging figures in epistemology debating some of its most fundamental questions, this volume will be required reading for anyone interested in where the theory of knowledge has been and where it is going. A superb collection.”

―Paul Boghossian, New York University

Building on the reputation of the first edition, this fully revised and updated volume expands the original content by including fourteen newly commissioned essays, presenting perspectives on differing sides of the most vibrant current debates in epistemology: Is knowledge contextual? Can skepticism be refuted? Can beliefs be justified through coherence alone? The expanded content evinces the central truth of philosophy as a discipline: that progress comes only through argumentation, dialectic, and debate.

In common with the other volumes in the Contemporary Debates in Philosophy series, this new edition combines expert editing and judiciously commissioned material, adopting the series format which pairs up two essays espousing opposing views on a particular topic or theme in epistemology. The head-to-head chapters offer forceful advocacy of some of today’s most compelling philosophical stances as well as a brilliant opportunity for philosophy students to weigh the arguments and engage in comparative analysis of epistemological concepts that are constantly changing and developing.