Abstract

Several authors have recently argued that knowledge is not the aim of inquiry since it can make sense to inquire into a question even though one knows the answer. I argue that this a faulty diagnostic for determining whether one has met the constitutive standard of success of an activity type. The constitutive standards of success tell us when an activity is successful, but such standards can be exceeded and exceeding them can be reasonable. To back this up I develop an account of zetetic supererogation and argue that subjects who continue to inquire into a question while knowing the answer do what is zetetically supererogatory.

Original languageEnglish
JournalPhilosophical Issues
Volume34
Issue number1
Pages (from-to)167-183
Number of pages17
ISSN1533-6077
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Oct 2024
MoE publication typeA1 Journal article-refereed

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 The Author(s). Philosophical Issues published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.

Fields of Science

  • 611 Philosophy

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