Appearance and Explanation

Reviews / Votes

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 *