Summary and Outlook

Abstract

In this book two things have been shown: firstly, the best arguments for epistemic relativism — the argument from underdetermination and the argument from norm-circularity — are not convincing. Thus, we have seen reason to stick to an epistemic absolutist account and to criticize Barnes’ and Bloor’s view. Secondly, however, the Strong Programmers have a correct intuition — expressed in the principle of epistemic tolerance. Thus, it has been shown that though the arguments of the epistemic relativists founder, their basic intuition is correct and can be incorporated and explained within the framework of epistemic absolutism.