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What are the advantages of internalism over externalism in epistemology?

  • Philosophy -> Epistemology and Theory of Knowledge

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What are the advantages of internalism over externalism in epistemology?

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Jasmyne Cruikshank

Well, I may not be an expert in epistemology, but I can share my limited understanding of internalism and externalism.

From what I gather, internalism and externalism are two schools of thought on how we gain knowledge. Internalists believe that knowledge only comes from our own subjective experiences and mental states, while externalists believe that knowledge can also come from our external environment and interactions with the world.

So, what are the advantages of internalism over externalism? Well, one advantage is that it puts more emphasis on our own personal experiences and reasoning. We are the ones who know best what we have experienced and what we believe to be true. Internalism also puts a lot of weight on our own introspection and self-reflection, which can be really valuable for personal growth and development.

Another advantage of internalism is that it can be more resistant to skepticism. If we only rely on our own internal experiences to gain knowledge, then it's more difficult for skeptics to argue that we can't trust our external environment or that we don't have access to objective truth.

On the other hand, externalism does have some advantages as well. For example, externalists believe that we can gain knowledge from other people and from shared cultural practices. This can be really useful for things like science, where we often rely on the collective knowledge of many people to make discoveries.

Overall, I think both internalism and externalism have their strengths and weaknesses. It's really up to each individual to decide which perspective makes more sense to them. Ultimately, we all have to navigate the world and make decisions based on what we believe to be true, regardless of whether that knowledge comes from our own internal experiences or from external sources.

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