X—States of Nature, Epistemic and Political

Abstract

The paper asks what is living in political state-of-nature approaches, and answers by way of considering recent epistemic uses of state-of-nature arguments. Using E. Craig's idea that a concept of knowledge can be explicated from the need for good informants, I argue that a concept of authority can be explicated from a parallel need for good practical informants. But this need not justify rule of a platonic elite. Practically relevant epistemic advantages are more likely to be secured by the political creation of institutions. In conclusion, it is suggested that this approach can explain a problem of justification which arises for J. Raz'account of authority