Defeaters Flashcards
Defeater
a thing that removes justification
Undercutting defeater
takes away justification without giving justification elsewhere.
What are examples of an undercutting defeater?
You’re bad at math. – takes away your justification for believing you may be good at math
You just ran a red light. – takes away your justification for believing you’re a good driver
Rebutting defeater
Removing justification and placing it elsewhere.
What are examples of a rebutting defeater?
I see mac do a cartwheel and think she is the best cartwheeler. But then I see Tess do a cartwheel and think she is the best cartwheeler. My justification that Mac is the best cartwheeler has been moved to believe that Tess is the best carwheeler.
What is an example where something is both an undercutting and rebutting defeater?
You think you are killing it in soccer and are a great teammate who shares the ball. I tell you you’re being a ball hog. Your belief that you’re killing it is removed (an undercutting defeater). Your belief that you are a great teammate is moved to thinking you are a bad teammate (a rebutting defeater) because you don’t think that a ball-hog makes for a good teammate.
What are the degrees of defeat?
Justification for knowledge comes in a continuum. For a belief to be considered knowledge, it must have enough justification (enough of a good basis) for believing that thing. Once this justification is reached, the belief is considered knowledge. However, you can add or take away justification. Adding justification will bring you closer to being maximally justified. Taking away justification won’t always take away the knowledge, but will move you further away from being maximally justified and has the risk of moving a justified belief to not be justified enough to be considered knowledge — this is a defeater.
What is an example of undercutting an inferentially justified belief?
I know mammals have hair. I see a gorilla and see it has hair, so I believe that gorilla is a mammal. But, someone tells me that what I’m seeing is a stuffed animal gorilla, not an actual gorilla with real hair that is a mammal. My belief that the gorilla that I see is a mammal is removed because now I know that this is not an actual gorilla nor a mammal
What is an example of rebutting an inferentially justified belief?
I believe that all flowers have five petals. Every flower I have seen I have counted that they have five petals. However, I happen upon a flower field where all of the flowers have 6, some even 7 petals. Now, my justification for believing that every flower has 5 petals has been moved to believing that every flower has 5 to 7 petals.
What is an example of an undercutter of a non-inferentially justified belief
I believe that it smells like roses but I ask my friend if she smells the roses and she says it smells like nothing. My belief that it smells like roses is removed.
What is an example of a rebutter of a non-inferentially justified belief?
I believe that it’s raining when I’m inside but when I go outside I believe it’s snowing. My justification that it’s raining has been moved to believe it’s snowing.
What is an example of a belief that is prima facie justified but because of a defeater is not actually justified enough to be knowledge?
I have prima facie justification to believe that it’s 72 degrees outside because I’ve felt 72 degree weather and it feels similar to how it does now. However, when I look at my incredibly accurate thermostat I see it’s actually 70 degrees. The belief that it’s 72 degrees was prima facie justified but is now not actually justified to be knowledge due to the rebutting defeater of the thermostat.
