Fallibilism

Definition

Fallibilism is the philosophical view that all claims to knowledge may be mistaken, and that no absolute certainty is possible. It is the idea that our beliefs and knowledge are inherently provisional and open to revision or rejection in light of new evidence or arguments.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Fallibilism rejects the idea of infallible, absolute certainty in knowledge, and instead holds that all our beliefs and knowledge claims are potentially subject to revision or correction.
2. Fallibilism is closely linked to the concept of epistemic humility, which emphasizes the inherent limitations and fallibility of human cognition and reasoning.
3. Fallibilism challenges the traditional view of knowledge as justified, true belief, arguing that justification alone does not guarantee the truth of a belief.
4. Fallibilism has important implications for the nature of scientific inquiry, which is viewed as an ongoing process of testing and revising hypotheses rather than a quest for final, unquestionable truths.
5. Fallibilism is often contrasted with dogmatism, which holds that certain beliefs or claims can be known with absolute certainty and should not be questioned or revised.

Review Questions

• Explain how the principle of fallibilism relates to the concept of knowledge.
  • The principle of fallibilism holds that all of our beliefs and claims to knowledge are inherently provisional and open to revision or rejection in light of new evidence or arguments. This challenges the traditional view of knowledge as justified, true belief, as fallibilism argues that justification alone does not guarantee the truth of a belief. Fallibilism emphasizes the inherent limitations and fallibility of human cognition and reasoning, and suggests that we should approach our beliefs and knowledge claims with epistemic humility, recognizing that they may be mistaken or subject to change.
• Discuss the implications of fallibilism for the process of justification.
  • Fallibilism has significant implications for the concept of justification, which is the process of providing adequate grounds or reasons for holding a particular belief or claim to be true. If all of our beliefs and knowledge claims are potentially subject to revision or correction, as fallibilism suggests, then the process of justification becomes more complex and uncertain. Fallibilists argue that justification alone is not sufficient to guarantee the truth of a belief, and that we must remain open to the possibility that our justified beliefs may still be mistaken. This challenges traditional approaches to justification and emphasizes the need for ongoing critical evaluation and revision of our beliefs and knowledge claims.
• Analyze how the principle of fallibilism relates to the philosophical concept of skepticism.
  • Fallibilism is closely related to the philosophical concept of skepticism, which holds that we cannot have certain knowledge of anything, or that we should withhold judgment about the truth of certain claims. Fallibilism shares with skepticism the view that our beliefs and knowledge claims are inherently provisional and open to revision or rejection. However, fallibilism does not go as far as skepticism in rejecting the possibility of knowledge altogether. Instead, fallibilism emphasizes the need for epistemic humility and the ongoing critical evaluation of our beliefs, while still acknowledging that some beliefs may be more justified or reliable than others. In this way, fallibilism can be seen as a middle ground between dogmatism, which holds that certain beliefs can be known with absolute certainty, and radical skepticism, which denies the possibility of any reliable knowledge.

Related terms

Epistemology: The branch of philosophy concerned with the nature, origin, and limits of human knowledge.

Skepticism: The view that we cannot have certain knowledge of anything, or that we should withhold judgment about the truth of certain claims.

Justification: The process of providing adequate grounds or reasons for holding a particular belief or claim to be true.