Reasonable and Factive Entitlements

Abstract

One major concern in Wittgenstein’s On Certainty is the notion of “factive states,”
the mental states whose existence implies the obtaining of relevant facts. Factive
states have often been considered in contrast with “appearances,” the basic cognitive
states insinuated by the well-known “argument from illusion.” The aim of this paper
is to elucidate the normative aspects of both factive states and appearances. I will
make use of an analogy from practical reason to show that, in regard of
epistemological entitlement, factive states have explanatory priority over
appearance.