Common Sense Externalism versus Pamalogy
Inference to the Best Explanation in the Light of a Better Possible Explanation
By James Carvin
Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for Epistemology 330 Dr. Jefferey Watson
Arizona State University
August 11, 2020
Abstract
James Carvin reviews a doctoral dissertation by Kevin McCain for the University of Rochester 2011, Inference to the Best Explanation and the External World: A Defense of the Explanationist Response to Skepticism. McCain’s dissertation advocates an Explanationist response to skepticism. Carvin retains McCain’s advocacy of inference to the best explanation, while positing an alternative hypothesis to commonsense externalism that is an improved skeptical hypothesis called Pamalogy. Pamalogy is a multiverse solution to theodicy primarily, which is a metaphysical system of Carvin’s own invention, built on a priori inferences and axiological notions. Will it do damage to McCain’s claim of defeat over skepticism? You decide.
