The Dynamic Character of the Normative Status of Belief and Its Relationships with Epistemic, Practical, and Moral Reasons

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K00033
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 01010:Philosophy and ethics-related
• Research Institution: Hiroshima University
• Principal Investigator: Kasaki Masashi 広島大学, 人間社会科学研究科(総), 准教授 (60713576)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 認識論 / 知識 / 合理性 / 阻却要因 / 暴露論証

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The main results of this study can be classified into three categories. First, it provided a unified explanation of the various factors that have been regarded as defeaters for the epistemic rationality of belief: defeaters have the content that the subject does not possess knowledge. Second, it pointed out that the "higher-order evidence," which has been regarded as a candidate for defeater for the epistemic rationality of belief in the literature, does not defeat epistemic rationality but practical rationality in inquiry. Third, it analyzed the influence of the specific cultural background of Japan in particular and the characteristic features of the Japanese language on the defeat and denial of knowledge attributions. These results will be incorporated into a book that is currently being written and will also be submitted to journals.

Free Research Field

哲学・倫理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

信念の合理性の阻却要因となるものはどのようなものなのか、そしてそれらがどのように信念の合理性を阻却するのかという点には、部分的な見解がさまざまに提示されてきたものの、統一的な説明は与えられてこなかった。本研究は、一部の阻却要因候補に新しい分析を与えるとともに、それらの統一的な説明を与えるという点で理論的な意義のあるものだと考えられる。また、この説明は、現実社会で問題となる見解の対立（特にインターネット上でのフェイクニュースの拡散や差別的行動）がなぜ生じ、しかも用意に解消可能ではないのかという点を（少なくとも部分的に）説明可能であるという応用的な意義も有していると考える。