Elusive Knowledge, David Lewis

Elusive Knowledge (approx. 10–12 pages) is a seminal paper in epistemology that helped shape modern contextualist approaches to knowledge.

Historically significant for reconciling everyday knowledge claims with philosophical skepticism, Lewis argues that whether someone “knows” a proposition depends on context. His key idea is that knowledge requires ruling out relevant alternative possibilities, but what counts as “relevant” shifts depending on conversational standards.

The paper is available online from multiple sources including the following: https://fitelson.org/epistemology/lewis.pdf

We will be at the Central Library in room 3-10B.