NORMAN AND TRUETEMP REVISITED RELIABILISTICALLY: A PROPER FUNCTIONALIST DEFEAT ACCOUNT OF CLAIRVOYANCE

Abstract

AbstractThe cases of Norman the Clairvoyant and Mr. Truetemp form classic counterexamples to the process reliabilist's claim that reliability is sufficient for prima facie justification. I discuss several ways in which contemporary reliabilists have tried to deal with these counterexamples, and argue that they are all unsuccessful. Instead, I propose that the most promising route lies with an appeal to a specific kind of higher-order defeat that is best cashed out in terms of properly functioning monitoring mechanisms.