5.2 Externalism and the role of external factors

Externalism in epistemology focuses on factors outside our minds that affect justification. It's all about how our beliefs connect to the world around us, not just what's going on in our heads.

This topic explores different externalist theories like reliabilism and proper functionalism. It also looks at how things like our environment and causal connections play a role in justifying our beliefs.

Externalist Theories

Process Reliabilism and Tracking Theories

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• Process reliabilism posits beliefs justified when produced by reliable cognitive processes
• Reliable processes consistently generate true beliefs in various conditions
• Tracking theories assert justified beliefs "track" truth across possible worlds
• Robert Nozick's truth-tracking theory requires beliefs to covary with facts
• Sensitivity condition demands belief not held if proposition false
• Safety condition requires belief true in all nearby possible worlds

Proper Functionalism and Contextualism

• Proper functionalism links justification to cognitive faculties functioning as designed
• Alvin Plantinga argues justified beliefs result from properly functioning cognitive systems
• Proper function determined by evolutionary or divine design
• Contextualism claims justification standards vary with context
• Low-stakes situations require less evidence for justification
• High-stakes contexts demand more stringent justification criteria
• Keith DeRose's bank cases illustrate contextual shifts in knowledge attribution

Justification Factors

Reliability and Truth-Conduciveness

• Reliability measures consistency of true belief production
• Truth-conduciveness evaluates tendency of belief-forming methods to yield truths
• Goldman's fake barn scenario demonstrates importance of environmental reliability
• Reliable processes include perception, memory, and reasoning
• Truth-conducive methods lead to higher proportion of true beliefs over time
• Bayesian inference exemplifies truth-conducive reasoning

Environmental Factors and Causal Connections

• Environmental factors influence justification beyond internal mental states
• Includes physical surroundings, social context, and historical background
• New Evil Demon problem challenges pure reliabilism by considering deceptive environments
• Causal connections link beliefs to truth-making facts in the world
• Goldman's causal theory of knowledge requires appropriate causal chains
• Gettier cases highlight importance of right kind of causal connection for knowledge