A Thomistic Approach to the Gettier Problem

Epistemologists have been discussing the Gettier problem (GP) for 60 years. Numerous proposals have been suggested to solve it. In this article, I argue that the problem can be dismissed if we consider it in light of Thomas Aquinas’s view of truth. According to Aquinas, there are two types of truth: ‘ontological’ and ‘logical’. Unlike the latter, only God can possess the former. My argument is that the GP arises due to the implicit use of the former type of truth; the latter type, typically possessed by humans, would prevent the GP from arising.

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Publication Details

Journal
Journal for the History of Analytical Philosophy
Published
2026-05-01
DOI
https://doi.org/10.15173/jhap.v15i7.6660
Primary Topic
Medieval Philosophy and Theology
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
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article

A Thomistic Approach to the Gettier Problem

Roberto Di Ceglie
Journal for the History of Analytical Philosophy
Medieval Philosophy and Theology
article

A Thomistic Approach to the Gettier Problem

Roberto Di Ceglie
article en

Abstract

Epistemologists have been discussing the Gettier problem (GP) for 60 years. Numerous proposals have been suggested to solve it. In this article, I argue that the problem can be dismissed if we consider it in light of Thomas Aquinas’s view of truth. According to Aquinas, there are two types of truth: ‘ontological’ and ‘logical’. Unlike the latter, only God can possess the former. My argument is that the GP arises due to the implicit use of the former type of truth; the latter type, typically possessed by humans, would prevent the GP from arising.

Journal for the History of Analytical PhilosophyVol. 15(7)
Reduced inequalities, Peace, Justice and strong institutions
Openalex Percentile: Top 4%
Medieval Philosophy and Theology
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