Published in 2005 - Final Part

The last two books I'll refer to concern contemporary discussions of epistemological skepticism.

- Duncan Pritchard, Epistemic Luck. Oxford: Clarendon Press.

Pritchard defends what he calls a neo-Moorean safety-based externalism. As regards the notion of epistemic luck, he distinguishes between veritic luck and reflective luck, affirming that his safety-based view deals successfully with the former but not with the latter. An interesting aspect of the book is that it takes into consideration Pyrrhonian skepticism, claiming that the challenge posed by the Modes of Agrippa concerns the problem of reflective luck and not that of “veritic” epistemic luck. Therefore, the Pyrrhonian attack is not directed against knowledge simpliciter but only against internalist knowledge, so that Pyrrhonism is compatible with widespread externalist knowledge. Certainly, this is a contentious claim. For more information about this book, click here.

- Bryan Frances, Scepticism Comes Alive. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Frances claims to have discovered a new kind of skepticism that cannot be countered by present-day responses to traditional skepticism. What characterizes this type of skepticism is that it is based upon live scientific-philosophical hypotheses. For more information, go here.