Epistemological relativism: MacIntyre, Putnam and Rorty (Alasdair MacIntyre, Hilary Putnam, Richard Rorty)

This work is a critical study of epistemological relativism in the philosophies of Alasdair MacIntyre, Hilary Putnam and Richard Rorty. First, I argue that epistemological relativism is highly problematic and ought to be rejected. Second, I present an exposition of the presence of epistemological relativism in the major works of MacIntyre, Putnam and Rorty. Third, I examine the three-way debate between these thinkers regarding the presence of epistemological relativism in their works. I argue that to the extent that each philosopher holds to epistemological relativism, major revisions are required in their epistemologies. I conclude with an account of how a coherent epistemology can be constructed that is free from the difficulties of epistemological relativism.