Ernest Sosa Encountering Chinese Philosophy : A Cross-Cultural Approach to Virtue Epistemology

A major figure in the Anglo-American analytic tradition, Ernest Sosa is a pioneer of contemporary virtue epistemology. Engaging with his important work for the first time, a team of renowned scholars of Chinese philosophy bring Western analytic epistemology into dialogue with themes and issues in the history of the Chinese tradition in order to reveal multiple points of connection.

Drawing on thinkers and texts from Confucianism, Daoism, and Chinese Buddhism, chapters explore issues central to virtue epistemology, such as the reliabilist and responsibilist divide, the distinction between virtues constitutive of knowledge and virtues auxiliary to knowledge, epistemic competence, and the role of testimony. Including Sosa's constructive and systematic responses to each scholar's interpretation of his work, this volume demonstrates the value of cross-cultural dialogue, advancing the field of virtue epistemology, and paving the way for further engagement between philosophical traditions.

“This volume breaks new ground in comparative philosophy! It brings together renowned virtue epistemologist Ernest Sosa and leading scholars of Chinese philosophy for constructive and nuanced engagement in cross-cultural epistemology. The outcome is philosophically refreshing and scholarly fruitful. I highly recommend it to everyone interested in the topic.” —Chenyang Li, Professor of Philosophy, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

“Sosa's reliabilist virtue epistemology has sharpened our understanding of knowledge's accuracy, adroitness and aptness. Here, Yong Huang curates a valuable anthology that stretches these ideas; leading scholars critically assess reliabilist intellectual virtue in light of agency in the Confucian, Daoist and Buddhist philosophical traditions. This is contemporary, cross-tradition epistemology at its best!” —Karyn Lai, Professor of Philosophy, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia