Escaping from Mediational Epistemology

Abstract

    In this paper, I evaluate Donald Davidson's strategy to escape from “mediational epistemology (ME)”. He presents a critical argument against the crucial idea of ME that conceives of our empirical beliefs as depending on mental intermediaries that convey information to our minds. However, it seems that Davidson shares “inside/outside picture” with ME, and this fact leads him into the wrong direction. After reviewing his approach, I explain which role the picture in question plays within his strategy and argue that, in order to escape from ME satisfactorily, we have to question this picture itself.