What do We Want from a Theory of Epistemic Blame?
Adam Piovarchy
Abstract
This paper identifies a number of questions that any plausible theory of epistemic blame ought to answer. What is epistemic blame? When is someone an appropriate target of epistemic blame? And what justifies engaging in epistemic blame? I argue that a number of problems arise when we try to answer these questions by using existing conceptions of moral blame. I then consider and reject Brown’s [2020 Brown, Jessica 2020. What Is Epistemic Blame? Noûs 54/2: 389–407.[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]] belief-desire model of epistemic blame. Finally, I argue that an agency-cultivation model of moral responsibility is not only able to help us to develop a plausible theory of epistemic blame; it is particularly well-placed to do so.