philosophy discussion4
Valerielee
2/19/2018
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Phil 2: Puzzles and Paradoxes
Prof. Sven Bernecker
University of California, Irvine
Knowledge Version
of Moore‘s Paradox
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“Omissive“ because it self-reports a lack of true belief.
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(I believe that p & not-p) ≡ (not-p & I believe that p)
(not-p & I believe that p) ≡ (p & I believe that not-p)
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Omissive form: p & I do not believe that p
Commissive form I: I believe that p, but it is not the case that p
Commissive form II: p & I believe that not-p
Moore‘s Paradox
Moore‘s paradox is the problem
of explaining why Moorean
statements cannot be sincerely
asserted without absurdity.
Knowledge Version of Moore‘s
Paradox
p & I do not know that p
• There are two explanations of the (putative) absurdity of this
statement. One explanation assumes that knowledge is the
norm of assertion -- Knowledge explanation. The other
explanation assumes that justification is the norm of assertion --
Justification explanation
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Knowledge Explanation
• Knowledge as the Norm of Assertion: Assert that p only if you know that p.
• Knowledge Distribution: Knowing a conjunction implies knowing each
conjunct.
• Factivity of knowledge: Whatever is known is true.
• Given the norm of assertion, if I assert that (p & I don‘t know that p), then I know
that (p & I don‘t know that p). Given knowledge distribution, if I know that (p & I
don‘t know that p), then I know that p. Given the factivity of knowledge, if I know
that (I don‘t know that p), then it is true that I don‘t know that p. Therefore, I do
and don‘t know that p. Contradiction!
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2/19/2018
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Problems with the knowledge explanation of the knowledge
version of Moore‘s Paradox:
• Maybe the norm of assertion is not knowledge but rather
something weaker such as truth, perceived truth, reasonable
belief, justified belief etc.
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Justification Explanation
• Justification Principle: If one is justified in believing that p and one
knows that one believes that p, then one is justified in believing that one
knows that p.
• Norm of Sincerity: Assert that p only if you believe that p.
• Justification as the Norm of Assertion: Assert that p only if you are
justified in believing that p.
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• Given my conformity to the norm of sincerity and
justification, if I assert that (p & I don‘t know that p), I
am justified in believing that p. Given that I know
whether I am sincere, I know that I believe that p.
And given the justification principle, I am justified in
believing that I know that p. But this means that I am
not justified in believing that I do not know that p. But
I have also asserted that I do not know that p.
Contradiction!