Abstract
Recently predominant forms of anti-realism claim that all truths are knowable. We argue that in a logical explanation of the notion of knowability more attention should be paid to its epistemic part. Especially very useful in such explanation are notions of group knowledge. In this paper we examine mainly the notion of distributed knowability and show its effectiveness in the case of Fitch’s paradox. Proposed approach raised some philosophical questions to which we try to find responses. We also show how we can combine our point of view on Fitch’s paradox with the others. Next we give an answer to the question: is distributed knowability factive? At the end, we present some details concerning a construction of anti-realist modal epistemic logic.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Brogaard, B., and J. Salerno, ‘Fitch’s paradox of knowability’, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
Brogaard B., Salerno J. (2002) ‘Clues to the paradoxes of knowability: Reply to Dummett and Tennant’. Analysis 62 (2): 143–150
Cook R.T. (2006) ‘Knights, knaves and unknowable truths’. Analysis 66 (1): 10–16
Douven I. (2005) ‘A principled solution to Fitch’s paradox’. Erkenntnis 62 (1): 47–69
Dummett M. (2001) ‘Victor’s error’. Analysis 61(1): 1–2
Fagin, R., J. Y. Halpern, Y. Moses,and M. Y. Vardi, Reasoning About Knowledge, 2 edn., MIT Press Cambridge, 2003.
Fagin, R., J. Y. Halpern, and M. Y. Vardi, ‘What can machines know? On the properties of knowledge in distributed systems’, Journal of the ACM, 39 (1992), 2, 328–376.
Fitch F.B. (1963) ‘A logical analysis of some value concepts’. The Journal of Symbolic Logic 28 (2): 135–142
Gabbay, D. M., ‘Fibred semantics and the weaving of logics part I: Modal and intuitionistic logics’, The Journal of Symbolic Logic, 61 (1996), 4, 1057–1120.
Halpern J.Y. (1996) ‘Should knowledge entail belief?’. Journal of Philosophical Logic 25, 483–494
Halpern, J. Y., and Y. Moses, ‘Knowledge and common knowledge in a distributed environment’, Journal of the ACM, 37 (1990), 3, 549–587.
Halpern, J. Y., and Y. Moses, ‘A guide to completeness and complexity for modal logics of knowledge and belief’, Artificial Intelligence, 54 (1992), 319–379.
Hand M., Kvanvig J.L. (1999) ‘Tennant on knowability’. Australasian Journal of Philosophy 77 (4): 422–428
Kracht M., Wolter F. (1991) ‘Properties of indepedently axiomatizable bimodal logics’. The Journal of Symbolic Logic 56 (4): 1469–1485
Kvanvig, J. L., ‘Restriction strategies for knowability: Some lessons in false hope’, Online Papers in Philosophy, 6 April 2004.
Martinez C., Sagüillo J.-M., Vilanova J. (1997) ‘Fitch’s problem and the knowability paradox: Logical and philosophical remarks’. Logica Trianguli 1: 73–91
Palczewski, R., ‘On aporetical relations between realist and anti-realist theories’, In preparation.
Percival P. (1990) ‘Fitch and intuitionistic knowability’. Analysis 50: 182–187
Polacik, T., ‘Propositional quantification in the monadic fragment of intuitionistic logic’, Journal of Symbolic Logic, 63 (1998), 1, 269–300.
Rosenkranz S. (2004) ‘Fitch back in action again?’. Analysis 64: 67–71
Tennant, N., The Taming of the True, Oxford: larendon Press, 1997.
Tennant N. (2000) ‘Anti-realist aporias’. Mind 109 (436): 825–854
Tennant N. (2001) ‘Is every truth knowable? Reply to Hand and Kvanvig’. Australasian Journal of Philosophy 79 (1): 107–113
Tennant, N., ‘Is every truth Knowable? Reply to Williamson’, Ratio (new series), 14 (2001), 3, 263–280.
van Benthem J. (2004) ‘What one may come to know’. Analysis 64 (2): 95–105
van der Hoek, W.,and J.-J. Meyer, Epistemic Logic for AI and Computer Science, 2 edn., Cambridge University Press, 2004.
van der Hoek, W., B. van Linder,and J.-J. Meyer, ‘Group knowledge is not always distributed (neither is it always implicit)’, Mathematical Social Sciences,38 (1999), 215–240.
Wansing, H., ‘Diamonds are a philosopher’s best friends. The knowability paradox and modal epistemic relevance logic’, Journal of Philosophical Logic, 31 (2002), 591– 612.
Williamson T. (1982) ‘Intuitionism disproved?’. Analysis 42: 203–207
Williamson, T., ‘Two complete anti-realist modal epistemic logic’, The Journal of Symbolic Logic, 55 (1990), 1, 297–314.
Williamson T. (1992) ‘On intuitionistic modal epistemic logic’. Journal of Philosophical Logic 21:63–89
Williamson, T., ‘Verificationism and non-distributive knowledge’, Australasian Journal of Philosophy, 71 (1993), 1, 78–86.
Williamson T. (1994) ‘Never say never’. Topoi 13: 135–145
Williamson, T., Knowledge and its Limits, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2000.
Williamson, T., ‘Tennant on knowable truth’, Ratio (new series), 13 (2000), 2, 99–114.
Wright C. (1992) Truth and Objectivity. Harvard University Press, Harvard
Wright, C., Saving the Differences: Essays on Themes from “Truth and Objectivity”, Harvard University Press, 2003.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Special Issue Formal Epistemology II. Edited by Branden Fitelson
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Palczewski, R. Distributed Knowability and Fitch’s Paradox. Stud Logica 86, 455–478 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11225-007-9070-9
Received:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11225-007-9070-9