epistemologist

An epistemologist is a scholar who studies epistemology, the branch of philosophy concerned with knowledge, belief, justification, and related concepts. Epistemologists examine what counts as knowledge, how beliefs are formed, and what it means for a belief to be justified or reliable. They also assess challenges from skepticism, asking whether knowledge is possible and under what conditions.

In scope, epistemology covers sources of knowledge such as perception, memory, reason, and testimony; criteria for truth; and the structure of justification. Standard topics include the analysis of knowledge as justified true belief, the Gettier problem, and competing theories of justification—foundationalism, coherentism, reliabilism, contextualism, and virtue epistemology. Epistemologists explore the distinction between a priori and a posteriori knowledge, the role of evidence, and questions about the limits of rationality. The field often uses conceptual analysis, thought experiments, and formal methods (e.g., Bayesian models of belief revision) and may engage with cognitive science and psychology to understand the mechanisms by which people form beliefs.

Professionally, epistemologists work in academic philosophy departments, publish in scholarly journals, and teach courses on knowledge, skepticism, and methodology. Their work informs debates across philosophy of science, ethics, and artificial intelligence, as well as practical considerations about testimony, education, and scientific reasoning.

Etymology: The term epistemology derives from the Greek epistēmē, meaning knowledge, and -logia, meaning study or theory. An epistemologist, then, is someone who studies the theory of knowledge.