Call to Account

A Philosophy Blog

Gettier's Cases Are Not Counterexamples to Justified True Belief Accounts of Knowledge

Gettier is widely considered to have falsified justified true belief accounts of knowledge. In this paper, I show that the subjects of Gettier’s cases cannot believe what Gettier claims they believe, given a reasonable proposal for how to characterize belief using propositions and the tools of truth functional logic. Furthermore, no alternative characterization would seem to be forthcoming. However, even if an alternative were available in line with what Gettier claims the subjects believe, I show that it would render the beliefs unjustified, since the subjects would not be able to tell why they believe what they do. Because of this, Gettier’s cases entirely fail against justified true belief accounts of knowledge, despite what has been widely believed for over a half a century.

Does Gettier Provide Counterexamples to Justified True Belief Accounts of Knowledge?

Gettier is widely considered to have falsified justified true belief accounts of knowledge. In this paper, I provide clear proofs that show that the subjects of Gettier’s cases cannot believe what Gettier claims they believe. To do this, I clarify how we are to characterize belief using propositions and the tools of truth functional logic. Furthermore, no alternative characterization would seem to be forthcoming. Because of this, Gettier’s cases entirely fail against justified true belief accounts of knowledge, despite what has been widely believed for over a half a century.