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Is there a problem with cognitive outsourcing?

Ahlstrom-Vij, Kristoffer (2016) Is there a problem with cognitive outsourcing? Philosophical Issues 26 (1), pp. 7-24. ISSN 1758-2237.

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Abstract

To what extent can we rely on others for information without such reliance becoming epistemically problematic? In this paper, this question is addressed in terms of a specific form of reliance: cognitive outsourcing. Cognitive outsourcing involves handing over (outsourcing) one?s information collection and processing (the cognitive) to others. The specific question that will be asked about such outsourcing is if there is an epistemic problem about cognitive outsourcing as such. To ask if there is an epistemic problem with x for S is to ask if x is a problem for S?s ability to acquire true belief and avoid false belief. To ask if there is a problem for S with x as such is to ask if it is impossible to solve the problem for S while leaving x as is. I argue that, if we consider the five most plausible candidate epistemic problems raised by cognitive outsourcing—i.e., unreliability, gullibility, irrationality, dependency, and lack of epistemic autonomy—we see for each candidate that it is either not an epistemic problem, or not a problem about cognitive outsourcing as such.

Metadata

Item Type: Article
Additional Information: This is the peer reviewed version of the article, which has been published in final form at the link above. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving.
School: Birkbeck Faculties and Schools > Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences > School of Historical Studies
Depositing User: Kristoffer Ahlstrom-Vij
Date Deposited: 19 Oct 2017 08:37
Last Modified: 11 Jun 2025 01:33
URI: https://eprints.bbk.ac.uk/id/eprint/20120

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