Pablo Zendejas Medina: "Knowledge and the Inquisitive Inquirer"

Pablo Zendejas Medina, Helsingfors universitet: "Knowledge and the Inquisitive Inquirer"

Abstract
Epistemologists often claim that inquiry aims at knowledge. But can this idea explain why inquirers are bound to pursue evidence when it is available? In this talk, I take up this question and argue that the answer is yes — but only if knowledge bears a tight connection to rational belief, probability, evidence. I develop this line of argument by giving a decision-theoretic account of the knowledge-aim, showing how the value of evidence can serve as an important criterion in epistemology.