A properly functioning exclusivism.

摘要

Warrant is that quality and quantity that distinguishes knowledge from mere true belief. A true belief must be warranted to count as an instance of knowledge since true beliefs that are only accidentally true do not count as knowledge. Alvin Plantinga construes warrant in terms of proper functionality. A belief B has warrant for subject S if and only if the relevant processes that produce belief B are functioning properly in a cognitive environment sufficiently similar to that for which S's faculties are designed; and the modules of the design plan governing the production of B are (1) aimed at truth, and (2) such there is a high objective probability that a belief formed in accordance with those modules (in that sort of cognitive environment) is true. Plantinga argues that a properly functioning cognitive faculty can produce warranted Christian beliefs.; There have been a number of objections to Plantinga's defense of Christian belief, which is tied to his account of warrant as proper function. Some of the more well-known objections claim that rival religious views to Plantinga's Christian belief provide a defeater for Christian belief A belief P defeats belief Q, if P gives one a good reason to give up belief Q. The thesis of my dissertation is that none of these objections aimed at Plantinga's account of warranted Christian belief succeed in providing a defeater for Christian belief.; In arguing for my thesis, I also argue more generally against the argument for the Problem of Religious Diversity. The Problem of Religious Diversity claims that in cases of epistemic peer disagreement with respect to religious beliefs, one should give equal weight to the opinion of an epistemic peer (someone who is alike epistemically in every way in terms of intelligence, honesty, thoroughness, exposure to the issues, etc.) and to one's own opinion. I argue that one has no intellectual obligation to give equal weight to the opinions of one's epistemic peers, and so conclude that rival religious views to Plantinga's defense of Christian belief do not provide a defeater to Christian belief.