Engineering Knowledge

Abstract

Consider the following two types of possible project in philosophy. The first, conceptual analysis, is a descriptive project: it aims to provide an analysis of the conditions under which a target entity or case falls under a given philosophically interesting concept. The second, less familiar sort of project, now often goes under the name 'conceptual engineering'. Conceptual engineering is a prescriptive project: it aims to determine what entities or cases SHOULD fall under a given philosophically interesting concept. Conceptual engineers tend to view our current concepts as defective, or at least sub-optimal, and may aim at substantive revision or even full replacement of our current concepts. In this talk I'll outline my preferred approach to conceptual engineering - the 'functional' approach - and begin to investigate how that approach might be applied to perhaps the most intractable target of analysis: knowledge.