Naturalistic Epistemology: The Case of Abner Shimony

Abstract

Shimony’s ‘Integral Epistemology’, in this volume takes as a point of departure Campbell’s non-justificationist descriptive epistemology: when we say we know something, we make a conjecture, not offer a proof. Shimony has no objection to, and indeed supports, descriptive epistemology, but dissents from Campbell’s view and declares possible analytic epistemology, proof or some other justification. His “purpose ... is to advocate an integral epistemology, in which descriptive and analytic considerations are brought together for the purpose of rationally assessing claims of human knowledge”. The operative words are ‘rationally assessing’. He wants to “shed light upon the reliability of human cognition’, so that “adequate justification can be given for the presuppositions of scientific investigation”.