An externalist account of introspective knowledge

The Content Skeptic argues that a subject could not have introspective know ledge of a thought whose content is individuated widely. This claim is inco rrect, relying on the tacit assumption that introspective knowledge differs significantly from other species of knowledge. The paper proposes a reliab ilist model for understanding introspective knowledge according to which in trospective knowledge is simply another species of knowledge, and according to which claims to introspective knowledge are not, as suggested by the Co ntent Skeptic, defeated by the mere possibility of error. This way of under standing introspective knowledge affords a robust theory of privileged acce ss consistent with semantic externalism.