Fallibilism, Underdetermination, and Skepticism

Anthony Brueckner

University of California, Santa Barbara

I first consider various formulations of fallibilism about knowledge and justification. Then I look at the role of an "Underdetermination Principle" in the standard closure-based argument for skepticism. I suggest that in implementing this principle in defense of one of the skeptical argument's premises, the skeptic is committed, surprisingly, to the denial of fallibilism. So if this is right, fallibilists need not be worried about the standard skeptical argument.