Seemings as sui generis

Blake McAllister

pp. 3079-3096

in: Luca Moretti, Tommaso Piazza (eds), Defeaters in current epistemology, Synthese 195 (7), 2018.

Abstract

The epistemic value of seemings is increasingly debated. Such debates are hindered, however, by a lack of consensus about the nature of seemings. There are four prominent conceptions in the literature, and the plausibility of principles such as phenomenal conservatism, which assign a prominent epistemic role to seemings, varies greatly from one conception to another. It is therefore crucial that we identify the correct conception of seemings. I argue that seemings are best understood as sui generis mental states with propositional content and a distinct phenomenal character. Rival conceptions are shown to succumb to numerous difficulties.