The a priori defended: A defense of the generality argument
Philosophical Studies 146 (2):273 - 289 (2009)
| Abstract | One of Laurence BonJour’s main arguments for the existence of the a priori is an argument that a priori justification is indispensable for making inferences from experience to conclusions that go beyond experience. This argument has recently come under heavy fire from Albert Casullo, who has dubbed BonJour’s argument, “The Generality Argument.” In this paper I (i) defend the Generality Argument against Casullo’s criticisms, and (ii) develop a new, more plausible, version of the Generality Argument in response to some other objections of my own. Two of these objections stem out of BonJour’s failing to fully consider the importance of the distinction between being justified in believing that an inference is good and being justified in making an inference. The final version of the argument that I develop sees the Generality Argument as one part of a cumulative case argument for the existence of a priori justification, rather than as a stand-alone knock-down argument. | |||||||||
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Robin Jeshion (2002). The Fallibility of Rational Insight. Journal of Philosophical Research 27:301-310.
Klaas J. Kraay (2005). William L. Rowe's A Priori Argument for Atheism. Faith and Philosophy 22 (2):211-234.
David Shier (2000). Can Human Rationality Be Defended "A Priori"? Behavior and Philosophy 28 (1/2):67 - 81.
Imogen Dickie (2010). The Generality of Particular Thought. Philosophical Quarterly 60 (240):508-531.
James Beebe (2008). BonJour's Arguments Against Skepticism About the "a Priori". Philosophical Studies 137 (2):243 - 267.
Joshua Thurow (2006). Experientially Defeasible a Priori Justification. Philosophical Quarterly 56 (225):596–602.
Mikael Janvid (2008). The Experiential Defeasibility and Overdetermination of A Priori Justification. Journal of Philosophical Research 33:271-278.
Joachim Horvath (2009). The Modal Argument for a Priori Justification. Ratio 22 (2):191-205.
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