THE TELIC NORMATIVITY OF EPISTEMOLOGY

Abstract

That being so, it emerges that the relevant “situation” is not a modal property of the spatio-temporal volume involved. Success in hitting the target across the relevant space is quite unlikely at that time, despite our archer's excellent skill and shape. What makes success so unlikely is the high risk (by hypothesis) of a spoiler gust. However, so long as no spoiler gust in fact comes along, our archer enjoys the complete competence required for creditable, success.

Apt performance, including apt epistemic performance, is not dependent on how safely one possesses relevant competence. This applies to all three sorts of competence: first, the (innermost) skill; second, the skill plus the required inner shape; third, the skill and shape, in turn, plus the required situation. None of thesevarieties of competence need be safely in place. The safety that does seem required for apt performance, including apt judgment and belief, is rather the SSS-relative safety constituted by the fact that one is (actually, however luckily) SSS-competent enough, so that, if one tried when thus SSS-competent, then one would likely
enough succeed.