Bayesians Don’t Tell Knowledge-Lies (and Probably Nobody Else Does Either)

Abstract

Roy Sorensen (forthcoming) claims that there are lies that attack knowledge without attacking belief. Using the framework of Bayesianism, I argue that all of Sorensen's examples of knowledge-lies actually achieve the goal of the liar by altering people's beliefs in one way or another. Although Sorensen has not identified one, there may be philosophically interesting examples of knowledge-lies. I argue, however, that such lies can have no effect on people's behavior and, thus, no one (with the possible exception of philosophers) is likely to tell them.

Keywords: lying, knowledge, belief, degrees of belief, Bayesianism