Metaepistemologists

Metaepistemologists are philosophers who study epistemology, the branch of philosophy concerned with knowledge. Instead of asking what knowledge is, or how we acquire it, metaepistemologists ask questions about epistemology itself. They investigate the nature, scope, and methods of epistemology as a philosophical discipline.

Key areas of metaepistemology include the subject matter of epistemology, the goals of epistemological inquiry, and the different approaches or methodologies that epistemologists employ. For example, a metaepistemologist might consider whether epistemology is primarily about describing our existing concepts of knowledge, or about prescribing how we ought to form beliefs. They may also examine the role of intuition in epistemological arguments or the relationship between epistemology and other philosophical fields like metaphysics or ethics.

Metaepistemology is concerned with the foundational questions that underpin epistemological debates. It seeks to clarify what it is we are doing when we do epistemology and what the ultimate aims of such an endeavor are. This self-reflective turn allows for a deeper understanding of the philosophical project of understanding knowledge.