Abstract
In this paper we focus on transmission and failure of transmission of warrant. We identify three individually necessary and jointly sufficient conditions for transmission of warrant, and we show that their satisfaction grounds a number of interesting epistemic phenomena that have not been sufficiently appreciated in the literature. We then scrutinise Wright’s analysis of transmission failure and improve on extant readings of it. Nonetheless, we present a Bayesian counterexample that shows that Wright’s analysis is partially incoherent with our analysis of warrant transmission and prima facie defective. We conclude exploring three alternative lines of reply: developing a more satisfactory account of transmission failure, which we outline; dismissing the Bayesian counterexample by rejecting some of its assumptions; reinterpreting Wright’s analysis to make it immune to the counterexample.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Chandler J. (2010) The transmission of support: A Bayesian re-analysis. Synthese 176: 333–343
Ebert A. P. (2005) Transmission of warrant-failure and the notion of epistemic analyticity. Australasian Journal of Philosophy 83: 505–521
Moretti, L. (2011). Wright, Okasha and Chandler on transmission failure. Synthese doi:10.1007/s11229-010-9771-x.
Okasha S. (2004) Wright on the transmission of support: A Bayesian analysis. Analysis 64: 139–146
Silins N. (2005) Transmission failure failure. Philosophical Studies 126: 71–102
Smith M. (2009) Transmission failure explained. Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 79: 164–189
Sturgeon S. (2008) Reason and the grain of belief. Nous 42: 139–165
Tucker C. (2010) When transmission fails. Philosophical Review 119: 497–529
Williamson T. (2000) Knowledge and its limits. OUP, Oxford
Wright C. (1985) Facts and certainty. Proceedings of the British Academy 71: 429–472
Wright C. (2002) (Anti-)sceptics simple and subtle: G. E. Moore and John McDowell. Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 65: 330–348
Wright C. (2003) Some reflections on the acquisition of warrant by inference. In: Nuccetelli S. (ed.) New essays on semantic externalism and self-knowledge. MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, pp 57–77
Wright C. (2004) Warrant for nothing (and foundations for free?). Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society, Supplementary Volume 78: 167–212
Wright C. (2007) Perils of dogmatism. In: Nuccetelli S. (ed.) Themes from G. E. Moore: New essays in epistemology and ethics. OUP, Oxford, pp 25–48
Wright C. (2011) McKinsey one more time. In: Hatzimoysis A. (ed.) Self-knowledge. OUP, Oxford, pp 80–104
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Moretti, L., Piazza, T. When warrant transmits and when it doesn’t: towards a general framework. Synthese 190, 2481–2503 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11229-011-0018-2
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11229-011-0018-2