After Certainty: A History of Our Epistemic Ideals and Illusions

After Certainty traces the history of how humans have pursued and conceived of knowledge across different philosophical traditions and time periods. The book examines major shifts in epistemology from ancient Greece through the modern era. Pasnau analyzes key debates about the nature of certainty, evidence, and truth through careful examination of historical texts and philosophical arguments. The work moves through Medieval scholasticism, Renaissance skepticism, and Enlightenment rationalism to show how perspectives on knowledge have evolved. Through detailed case studies and conceptual analysis, the text reveals patterns in how philosophers and thinkers have grappled with fundamental questions about what we can know and how we can know it. The historical narrative tracks changes in standards of evidence and proof across cultures and centuries. This philosophical history illuminates enduring tensions between certainty and doubt in human inquiry. The work speaks to contemporary epistemological challenges while grounding them in a rich historical context.

Book data is limited as this academic philosophy text has very few public reviews online. Readers praise Pasnau's clear writing style and systematic approach to tracing the historical development of epistemological certainty. Philosophy professor Helen De Cruz called it "a rich historical analysis" that reveals how past philosophers grappled with knowledge and certainty. Criticisms focus on the book's dense academic nature and assumption of prior knowledge in epistemology. Some note it may be too specialized for general readers. Ratings: Goodreads: 4.40/5 (5 ratings, 0 written reviews) Amazon: No ratings or reviews Google Books: No ratings or reviews The book appears primarily discussed in academic circles and philosophy journals rather than consumer review platforms. Academic reviews like Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews analyze its scholarly contributions but general reader feedback is minimal.

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🔹 Robert Pasnau spent over a decade researching and writing "After Certainty," drawing from an extensive range of historical philosophical texts in multiple languages. 🔹 The book challenges the common narrative that Medieval philosophers were dogmatic believers in certainty, showing instead that many were deeply concerned with skepticism and doubt. 🔹 Pasnau traces how the quest for absolute certainty in knowledge peaked during the 17th century with Descartes, then gradually declined as philosophers began accepting more modest epistemic goals. 🔹 The author is a leading scholar in Medieval philosophy who has translated several important works, including Peter John Olivi's "Questions on the Soul" and William Ockham's "Theory of Terms." 🔹 The book's central argument suggests that modern philosophers may have overcorrected in their rejection of certainty, and that some degree of certainty might still be worth pursuing in specific domains of knowledge.