Here is the synopsis of our sample research paper on Audi & Testimonial Knowledge. Have the paper e-mailed to you 24/7/365.
Essay / Research Paper Abstract
An 8 page research paper/essay that examines the position of Robert Audi in regards to testimonial knowledge, as specific area of epistemology. The writer first presents Audi's position, then offers rebuttal by discussing David Hume's skepticism and then offers a defense of Audi's position. Bibliography lists 3 sources.
Page Count:
8 pages (~225 words per page)
File: D0_khaudi.rtf
Buy This Term Paper »
Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
testimony of other is true? Furthermore, what place, if any, should testimonial knowledge, that is, knowledge that is transmitted to an individual by someone else, have in the overall framework
provided by epistemology? According to Robert Audi (1998), "Testimony is a pervasive and natural source of beliefs" (p. 146). Furthermore, Audi states that many of these beliefs are "justified
or constitute knowledge" (p. 146). As these statements suggest, Audi sees testimonial knowledge as basic to any individuals belief system. The following examination of Audis view of testimonial knowledge
seeks to explain his position, explore possible objections to his position, and then offer a defense to this objection. However, before proceeding with these goals, it is helpful in understanding
Audis perspective on testimonial knowledge to first explore what is meant by "justification" within the realm of epistemology. Honderich, et al (1995) define "epistemology" as the "study of our
right to the beliefs we have" (p. 245). Essentially, as individuals, we start from what might be described as our "cognitive stances" and ask if we have a foundation
for believing these stances to be true. Epistemology differentiates between two sorts of belief: mediated and unmediated (Honderich, et al, 1995). Mediated beliefs are those that we reach by
some strategy that starts from other beliefs that we have. Inference, for example, is such a strategy. One might infer that it is going to rain because there are dark
clouds overhead. Mediated beliefs concern whether or not the strategy we adopt is one to which we have a right, that is, one that we do well to use
(Honderich, et al, 1995). Unmediated beliefs are ones that we adopt without first basing them on beliefs that we already possess. These beliefs raise different problems, which have to do
...