The 1965 formulation of inference to the best explanation established Gilbert Harman as a significant figure in epistemology, proposing that individuals should infer the existence of entities necessary to explain observable phenomena. Born in East Orange in 1938, Harman maintained a career centered at Princeton University, where he taught from 1963 until his retirement in 2017.
Academic Foundation and Career
Harman earned a bachelor's degree from Swarthmore College before completing his doctoral studies at Harvard University under the supervision of Willard Van Orman Quine. His 1964 dissertation, later published as Scepticism and the Definition of Knowledge, laid early groundwork for his professional trajectory. At Princeton, he served as the James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor in Philosophy. His pedagogical reach extended beyond traditional philosophy, as he taught courses in computer science, electrical engineering, psychology, and linguistics, while co-directing the Princeton University Cognitive Science Laboratory alongside George Miller.
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In his analysis of reasoning, Harman moved away from interpreting logic and decision theory as rules for human inference, arguing instead that they represent theories of consistency and implication. His work, including the book Change in View: Principles of Reasoning, framed rational thought as a balance between coherence and conservatism. To address the Gettier problems, he proposed the no false lemmas principle. Collaborating later with Sanjeev Kulkarni, Harman investigated how statistical learning theory might provide a framework for addressing the philosophical problem of induction.
Philosophy of Mind
Harman contributed the concept of the transparency of experience to the philosophy of mind. He argued that perceptual experience possesses intentional content, suggesting that individuals are aware of qualities presented within an experience rather than internal properties of the experience itself, which he characterized as mental paint. He proposed that psychological states function in a self-reflective manner, where the content of an intention or perception includes the nature of the experience or state itself.
Moral Philosophy
In The Nature of Morality, Harman applied his epistemological focus to ethics, arguing that objective moral facts are unnecessary for explaining moral judgments. This perspective led to his endorsement of moral relativism, maintaining that there is no singular true morality. He rejected attempts to anchor moral theory in character traits or concepts of human flourishing. Throughout his career, he influenced numerous students, including Joshua Knobe, Stephen Stich, and Joshua Greene, who went on to hold various positions in the field.
Fast facts
- Born: 1938, East Orange
- Died: 2021
- Education: Swarthmore College, Harvard University
- Major Employer: Princeton University
- Jean Nicod Prize: 2005
- Citizenship: United States
- Fields: Philosophy of mind, language, ethics, epistemology
Questions readers ask
What is the transparency of experience?
It is the theory that perceptual experience has intentional content, where one is aware of the qualities presented in the experience rather than the properties of the experience itself.
Did Harman believe in objective moral facts?
No, he argued that there are no objective moral facts because they are not required to explain human moral judgments.
Achievements
- Jean Nicod Prize — 2005
- Held posts at Princeton University
- Fields: philosophy of language and philosophy of mind
