How Do You Know?

People often think there is only one way to answer this question and that is by citing some authority; which of course raises the question how Authority knows.

But there is another way to answer this question. We know by following clues; that is, by playing Sherlock Holmes. This answer does not lead to infinite regress. Clues allow us to reconstruct those structures of which they are the characteristics.

The authoritarian view of knowledge--that knowledge ultimately depends on authority--has undesirable consequences. For one it leads some to claim that they are the ultimate authorities and thus everyone should obey them.