Talk: Céline Henne (Bologna)

Title:

Inquiry into the unfamiliar. Enlarging the model of inquiry in zetetic epistemology

Abstract:

In this talk, I defend an enlarged model of inquiry for zetetic epistemology by introducing two central distinctions: (1) definite inquiries are concerned with a definite question having a determinate set of possible answers, while indefinite inquiries involve the development and refinement of their main guiding question as part of the inquiry process; (2) framed inquiries are concerned with a question that presupposes a settled conceptual framework, whereas framing inquiries are concerned with a question whose resolution requires the revision or refinement of the conceptual framework itself. Zetetic epistemology is overly focused on definite and framed inquiry, potentially leading to incorrect conclusions about inquiry in general. By incorporating indefinite and framing inquiries, this enlarged model better captures the nature of inquiry as the activity through which cognitively limited agents move from ignorance to knowledge, from confusion to understanding. I conclude by examining some of the implications for the debates on the aim of inquiry and the norms of inquiry.