Relativism Refuted. A Critique of Contemporary Epistemological Relativism

Epistemological relativism has been defended by a variety of thinkers stretching back at least as far as Protagoras. For just as long, however, others have thought the doctrine to be incoherent because selfrefuting. This is perhaps the most fundamental challenge faced by the relativist. – Table of contents : – Part I. Relativism and the Problem of Incoherence: – 1. The Incoherence Argument and the Notion of Relative Truth; – 2. Frameworks, Conceptual Schemes, and “Framework Relativism”. – Part II. Relativism and the Philosophy of Science: – 3. Kuhn and Relativism: Is He or Isn’t He?; – 4. The Kuhnians; – 5. The Kuhn-Inspired New Philosophy of Science; – 6. The Un-Kuhnians: Relativism via the Problem-Solving Theory of Rationality. – Part III. Further Epistemological Considerations: – 7. Goodmanian Relativism; – 8. Relativism and Rationality: Towards an “Absolutist” Epistemology.