The reliability of testimony
Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 61 (3):695-709 (2000)
| Abstract | Are we entitled or justified in taking the word of others at face value? An affirmative answer to this question is associated with the views of Thomas Reid. Recently, C. A. J. Coady has defended a Reidian view in his impressive and influential book, Testimony: A Philosophical Study. His central and most original argument for his positions involves reflection upon the practice of giving and accepting reports, of making assertions and relying on the word of others. His argument purports to show that testimony is, by its very nature, a "reliable form of evidence about the way the world is." The argument moves from what we do to why we are justified in doing it. Although I am sympathetic with both the Reidian view and Coady's attempt to connect why we rely on others with why we are entitled to rely on others, I find Coady's argument ineffective | |||||||||
| Keywords | No keywords specified (fix it) | |||||||||
| Categories | ||||||||||
| Options |
|
|||||||||
Download options| PhilPapers Archive |
Upload a copy of this paper Check publisher's policy on self-archival Papers currently archived: 5,705 |
| External links |
 |
| Through your library | Configure |
Similar books and articlesPeter King & Nathan Ballantyne (2009). Augustine on Testimony. Canadian Journal of Philosophy 39 (2):195-214.
Sanford Goldberg & David Henderson (2006). Monitoring and Anti-Reductionism in the Epistemology of Testimony. Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 72 (3):600-617.
C. A. J. Coady (1973). Testimony and Observation. American Philosophical Quarterly 108 (2):149-55.
Jennifer Lackey (2006). The Nature of Testimony. Pacific Philosophical Quarterly 87 (2):177–197.
Leslie Stevenson (1993). Why Believe What People Say? Synthese 94 (3):429 - 451.
By Matthew Weiner (2003). Accepting Testimony. Philosophical Quarterly 53 (211):256–264.
Catherine Z. Elgin (2002). Take It From Me. Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 65 (2):291-308.
C. A. J. Coady (1992). Testimony: A Philosophical Study. Oxford University Press.
Catherine Z. Elgin (2002). Take It From Me: The Epistemological Status of Testimony. Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 65 (2):291-308.
David Christensen & Hilary Kornblith (1997). Testimony, Memory and the Limits of the a Priori. Philosophical Studies 86 (1):1-20.
Analytics
Monthly downloads |
Added to index2009-01-28Total downloads42 ( #27,087 of 549,196 )Recent downloads (6 months)3 ( #25,790 of 549,196 )How can I increase my downloads? |
My notes
Discussion
