Dretske

According to Dretske, what is an absolute concept?

It depicts a situation as being devoid of a certain kind of thing. Ex: Flatness = absence of bumps Empty = absence of objects

Is knowledge an absolute concept? Why?

It is and it requires full justification. Ex: You can't know that Russia invaded Afghanistan better than I. However, you can have better justification than I do.

What are some advantages to Dretske's proposal of Relevant Alternatives? (3 possible ones given by Dr. Archer)

Makes sense of the pragmatic or social dimension of knowledge. e.g., Proximity to misleading defeaters. Social or pragmatic factors have to do with what counts as a relevant alternative. (2) Avoids a proliferation of senses of what it means to know. e.g., we don't have two sense of the word empty, one for pockets and another for warehouses. The same seems true of knowledge. (3) Supplies us with a reply to scepticism that also accounts for its appeal. Scepticism is appealing because the sceptic presents us with alternatives we have not eliminated. Scepticism may be ignored because certain possibilities are just too remote to worry about; they are not relevant alternatives.

Think of the refrigerator example and what could its relevant alternatives.

Refrigerator empty for someone looking for something to eat, but not empty for someone looking for spare parts.

Siberian Grebe Example

Siberian Grebe (red-bellied aquatic bird) Gadwall duck (white-bellied aquatic bird) Grebes and Gadwalls are indistinguishable while on the water. Birdwatcher sees a Gadwall on the water and believes that it is a Gadwall. Scenario 1: Unbeknownst to the birdwatcher, there are Grebes in the vicinity. Scenario 2: Unbeknownst to the birdwatcher, an ornithologist mistakenly claims there are Grebes in the vicinity. Scenario 3: Birdwatcher is aware that an ornithologist claims that there are Grebes in the vicinity, but is unaware that the ornithologist is mistaken. Scenario 4: Birdwatcher is aware that there is an ornithologist, but is unaware that he is a crack-pot and that Grebes only exist in his imagination.

What is the differance between Unger and Dretkse ideas of Absolute Concepts?

Unger = knowledge is absolute because it requires absolute certainty. Dretske = knowledge is absolute because it requires full justification.

Define knowledge

an evidential state in which all relevant alternatives (to what is known) are eliminated.

Which alternatives are relevant?

1.We use contrastive focusing to indicate the range of relevant alternatives: Clyde sold his typewriter to Alex. Clyde sold his typewriter to Alex. 2.What we take for granted in what we say is not a relevant alternative: "I could tell that your sister was amused by my funny story". Takes for granted that your sister is a human being rather than a robot. 3.Only objective possibilities qualify as relevant alternatives: The must really be Grebes in the area, not enough for people around to believe there are.

What is an absolute concept?

Absolute concepts have an all or nothing structure. Ex:You can boil water beyond its boiling point, but you can't boil it better.

Relationally absolute

Absolute relative to a certain standard. Exs: Relationally flat = What counts as a bump depends on the surface being described. Relationally empty = What counts as a thing depends on the container being described. A warehouse is still considered empty even if it has light bulbs and dust particles in it. To be empty is to be devoid of all relevant things.