Proceedings of Tark XI (
2007)
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Abstract
Williamson (2000a) has argued that posi-
tive introspection is incompatible with in-
exact knowledge. His argument relies on
a margin-for-error requirement for inexact
knowledge based on a intuitive safety prin-
ciple for knowledge, but leads to the counter-
intuitive conclusion that no possible creature
could have both inexact knowledge and posi-
tive introspection. Following Halpern (2004)
I put forward an alternative margin-for-error
requirement that preserves the safety require-
ment while blocking Williamson’s argument.
I argue that the infallibilist conception of
knowledge that underlies the new require-
ment provides a better account of inexact
knowledge and higher-order knowledge than
both Williamson’s and Halpern’s.