Disclaiming epistemic Akrasia: arguments and commentaries

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DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5007/1808-1711.2020v24n2p333

Abstract

In many ways one’s quest for knowledge can go wrong. Since the publication ofAmélie Rorty’s article “Akratic Believers”, in 1983, there has been a great deal of discussion asto one particular form of flaw in reasoning to which we, as less-than-perfect rational entities,are continuously prone to in our epistemic endeavors: “epistemicakrasia” (an analog, withintheoretical reason, of the weakness of will that is commonly thought to affect practical rea-son). The debate that article gave rise became, then, split between authors to whom the ideaof epistemicakrasiapromotes an interesting diagnosis of some of our intellectual imperfec-tions, and their opponents, those who disclaim the very possibility of the phenomenon. Inthis paper I’ll examine, and present original objections to, four of the main arguments put for-ward by the latter, showing that none of them have consistently ruled out all the legitimatelyconceivable forms of the phenomenon.

Author Biography

Veronica S. Campos, Federal University of Minas Gerais

Veronica Campos is a PhD Philosophy student at the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG). She received a bachelor's degree (2014) as well as a master’s degree (2017) in Philosophy from UFMG. Currently interested in contemporary topics in epistemology, such as epistemic irrationality, vice epistemology, epistemic akrasia and self deception. Also interested in contemporary readings on existential phenomenology, argumentative writing, creative writing and critical thinking.

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2020-11-18

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