Essays on a priori knowledge and justification

367 Pages·2012·1.274 MB·English

by  Albert Casullo

Essays on A Priori Knowledge
and Justifi cation
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Essays on A Priori Knowledge
and Justifi cation
A C
LBERT ASULLO
1
1
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Casullo, Albert.
Essays on a priori knowledge and justifi cation / Albert Casullo.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references (p.).
ISBN 978-0-19-977786-0
1. A priori. I. Title.
BD181.3.C39 2012
121'.4—dc23 2011018566
9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Printed in the United States of America
on acid-free paper
For Anna and Lisa
Figlia! A tal nome palpito
Qual se m’aprisse i cieli.
Un mondo d’ineff abili
Letizie a me riveli;
Giuseppe Verdi
Simon Boccanegra , Act 1, Scene 1
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CONTENTS
Preface ix
Acknowledgments xi
Introduction xiii
1. Kripke on the A Priori and the Necessary 3
2. Necessity, Certainty, and the A Priori 11
3. Revisability, Reliabilism, and A Priori Knowledge 33
4. Causality, Reliabilism, and Mathematical Knowledge 60
5. Th e Coherence of Empiricism 8 9
6. A Priori Knowledge 108
7. Epistemic Overdetermination and A Priori Justifi cation 159
8. Testimony and A Priori Knowledge 179
9. Analyzing A Priori Knowledge 1 94
10. Knowledge and Modality 210
11. Intuition, Th ought Experiments, and the A Priori 233
12. Counterfactuals and Modal Knowledge 251
13. Conceivability and Modal Knowledge 271
14. Articulating the A Priori–A Posteriori Distinction 289
Appendix: Annotated Bibliography 329
Index 341
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PREFACE
Th ese essays have benefi tt ed from the responses and criticisms of many friends,
colleagues, and students. I thank them for the time and eff ort that they expended
on my behalf. More specifi c acknowledgments are to be found at the end of each
essay. I would also like to thank the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the College
of Arts and Sciences, and, in particular, the Philosophy Department, its offi ce
staff , and its longtime Chair, Joe Mendola, for their generous support of my work.
A Faculty Development Leave in Fall 2010 allowed me to complete this project
in a timely fashion. Adam Th ompson proofed the entire manuscript and helped
to construct the index. I am grateful for his generosity and good humor. Finally,
Oxford University Press was instrumental in bringing this project to fruition in
numerous ways. Peter Ohlin encouraged me to pursue the project and provided
sound advice along the way. Two anonymous referees off ered valuable sugges-
tions for improving the project. Lucy Randall assisted in the preparation of the
manuscript. I thank them all warmly.
An expression of gratitude of a diff erent order is due to my daughters, Anna
and Lisa, who have enhanced and enriched my life in countless ways. Th is book
is dedicated to them with love and appreciation for all that they have provided,
and continue to provide, for me.