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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
A 6 page paper on Linda Zagzebski's 'Virtues of the Mind: An Inquiry into the Nature of Virtue and the Ethical Foundations of Knowledge,' which argues that Zagzebski's theory is valid and based on an inclusive study of why people act on knowledge, and where knowledge is based. The paper posulates that her intent is to not seek to rewrite the current theories, but to combine them. Theories used for the basis of her thesis include: epistemology (virtue), and philosophical and psychological bases of knowledge. Bibliography lists 5 sources.
Page Count:
6 pages (~225 words per page)
File: D0_Zagzebsk.rtf
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
theories from her comprehensive theory of "pure virtue" (Zagzebski, 1996, pp. 77), although it is an enormous undertaking. It seeks to connect all areas of consideration into a single
theory, and in a single book. She states herself that much had to be left out of the argument, but relies on other theories to support her argument, and
does a fairly comprehensive job of explaining why her theory makes sense. Most of her theory is based on the idea that other theories do not work on their
own, but work well in combination. Because she looks at knowledge from so many viewpoints, her claim that a definition of knowledge should "give necessary and sufficient conditions for
having knowledge which are both theoretically illuminating and practically useful" appears to be valid, especially insofar as it considers all the options. (pp. 264).
Douglas Groothuis says that humans want to have an understanding of thought (Groothuis, 1996, pp. P). Zagzebski says that this is what makes the study of knowledge "valuable"
(Zagzebski, pp. 1). Her theory is based on the premise that separate theories are most useful with the "total fit of all" (74). She accomplishes her argument by
combining the areas of reform epistemology, philosophy and psychology, with the intent to prove that intelligent virtue is the true definition of knowledge. She, herself, states that the theory
needs testing, but she has successfully opened the Pure Virtue Theory up for testing and argument (David, 1997; Forrest, 1997). In
support of her theory, perhaps we can rely on Berkeley who stated that the mind variously combines its ideas (David, 1997). Zagzebski takes this several steps further to show
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