@phdthesis{f83601938c1841d18c9179117103fce3,
title = "Cognitive epistemology: Knowledge as a natural phenomenon",
abstract = "This thesis investigates the question {\textquoteleft}What is knowledge?{\textquoteright} In intuition-based epistemology the question is often considered to concern how {\textquoteleft}knowledge{\textquoteright} is used linguistically or conceptually rather than what knowledge is. In addition, since intuitions are used as evidence despite empirical experiments indicating that people{\textquoteright}s intuitions vary a great deal and that little conclusive systematicity can be found, it is argued that approaches with such a focus cannot provide a solid foundation to answer the initial question.By instead looking at naturalistic approaches, a pluralistic cognitive epistemological approach which accepts ontological naturalism, methodological cooperative naturalism, and evolutionary epistemology can be identified. Given this approach – close to that of Hilary Kornblith – it is possible to look at how various relevant sciences see the natural phenomenon of knowledge. This provides a complement to Kornblith{\textquoteright}s sole focus on cognitive ethology. By also including the perspectives of cognitive psychology and evolutionary systems theory a new view of knowledge is made possible.The emerging picture indicates that the natural phenomenon of knowledge plausibly can be seen as consisting in dynamic internal survival-beneficial structures.For higher organisms, such structures importantly involve reflexive and reflective memory processes that (satisficingly) reliably produce (satisficingly) true beliefs.",
keywords = "knowledge, cognitive epistemology, naturalistic epistemology, cognitive psychology, evolutionary systems theory",
author = "Andreas Stephens",
note = "Defence details Date: 2024-05-10 Time: 13:15 Place: LUX B152 External reviewer Name: Klemens Kappel Title: professor Affiliation: K{\"o}penhamns universitet --- ",
year = "2024",
month = may,
day = "10",
language = "English",
isbn = "978-91-89874-02-2",
publisher = "Lund University (Media-Tryck)",
type = "Doctoral Thesis (compilation)",
school = "Theoretical Philosophy",
}