What question did this study set out to answer?

To investigate the Generality Problem faced by Process Reliabilism, Sensitivity Theory, and Safety Theory in determining justified beliefs.

May 7, 2026Synthese0 citationsOpen Access

The generality problem for process reliabilism, the sensitivity theory and the safety theory

IRIván RodriguezCentro Universitario Anglo Mexicano

Key Points

To investigate the Generality Problem faced by Process Reliabilism, Sensitivity Theory, and Safety Theory in determining justified beliefs.
Analyzing the definitions and implications of Process Reliabilism, Sensitivity Theory, and Safety Theory.
Examining how these theories address the Generality Problem in epistemology.
Process Reliabilism does not adequately identify which belief-forming processes justify a belief.
Sensitivity Theory and Safety Theory also struggle with the Generality Problem, affecting their ability to determine if a belief is sensitive or safe.
If these theories fail to resolve the Generality Problem, they cannot adequately explain the distinction between knowledge cases and non-knowledge cases.

Abstract

Process Reliabilism holds that a belief B is justified if and only if it is the result of a reliable belief-forming process. Since the late twentieth century, it has been well known that Process Reliabilism faces the Generality Problem (Conee Journal of Philosophy, 2016). In addition to this, I show that, if these theories do not solve the Generality Problem, they cannot establish whether a belief is sensitive or safe. But, if they cannot establish whether a belief is sensitive or safe, they cannot explain why knowledge cases are knowledge cases and why non-knowledge cases are not knowledge cases.

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