ONLINE FIRST
published on October 1, 2024
Andrew del Rio, Taylor-Grey Miller
https://doi.org/10.5840/tht202492337
(Ir)rational Inquiry
The unity thesis says that epistemic norms and zetetic norms (norms of inquiry) comprise a unified normative domain. We argue against the unity thesis by presenting cases where zetetic norms issue requirements to adopt doxastic attitudes (essential to the inquiry) which are forbidden by nearly platitudinous epistemic norms. We canvas a range of responses unity theorists might offer to resist our conclusion and argue that they either do not dissolve the conflict between the epistemic and zetetic norms or introduce unmotivated restrictions on the space of permissible inquiries.