Phenomenal Conservatism (the view that an appearance that things are a particular way gives one prima facie justification for believing that they are that way) is a promising, and popular, internalist theory of epistemic justification. Despite its popularity, it faces numerous objections and challenges. For instance, epistemologists have argued that Phenomenal Conservatism is incompatible with Bayesianism, is afflicted by bootstrapping and cognitive penetration problems, does not guarantee that epistemic justification is a stable property, does not provide an account of defeat, and is not a complete theory of epistemic justification. This book shows that Phenomenal Conservatism is immune to some of these problems, but not all. Accordingly, it explores the prospects of integrating Phenomenal Conservatism with Explanationism (the view that epistemic justification is a matter of explanatory relations between one's evidence and propositions supported by that evidence). The resulting theory, Phenomenal Explanationism, has advantages over Phenomenal Conservatism and Explanationism taken on their own. Phenomenal Explanationism is a highly unified, comprehensive internalist theory of epistemic justification that delivers on the promises of Phenomenal Conservatism while avoiding its pitfalls.

About the Author
Kevin McCain is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. His primary research areas are epistemology and philosophy of science. Luca Moretti is Reader of Philosophy at the University of Aberdeen. His research areas include general epistemology, social epistemology, philosophy of education, and philosophical logic.

Reviews
A compelling and comprehensive account of the nature and epistemic role of appearances. Highly recommended. * Declan Smithies, Ohio State University *
In this carefully argued book, McCain and Moretti present an attractive theory with rich resources for tackling not only the problems besetting phenomenal conservatism but epistemology more broadly, from the problem of how immediate justification is possible to the perennial challenge of how to reply to the skeptic. It is a 'must read' for anyone working in epistemology. * Matthew McGrath, Washington University in St. Louis *
Appearance and Explanation: Phenomenal Explanation in Epistemology offers an engaging epistemological search for a complete theory of epistemic justification. The book is organized in three parts. The first explores what Michael Huemer characterized as phenomenal conservativism, the theory that one ought to believe that things are as they appear in absence of reason to think otherwise...Parts 2 and 3 explore McCain and Moretti's theory of phenomenal explanation, which builds on phenomenal conservativism in an attempt to construct a complete theory of epistemic justification. Part 2 provides a clear exploration of the theory, and part 3 defends the theory from criticism. Although technical and rigorous, this book is clear and accessible throughout. * Choice *



Book Information
ISBN 9780192896872
Author Kevin McCain
Format Hardback
Page Count 206
Imprint Oxford University Press
Publisher Oxford University Press
Weight(grams) 442g
Dimensions(mm) 240mm * 160mm * 15mm