Kevin McCain is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. His research focuses on issues in epistemology and philosophy of science-particularly where these areas intersect. In addition to numerous journal articles, he has published a research monograph on the nature of epistemic justification,
Evidentialism and Epistemic Justification
. He is also currently co-editing (with Ted Poston) a volume on inference to the best explanation and a volume on philosophical skepticism.

Accessible and comprehensive introduction to the nature of scientific knowledge and its relation to epistemology more generally

Explores both the individual and social dimensions of the nature of knowledge in the sciences

Clarifies what distinguishes scientific knowledge from other forms of knowledge

Explores some of the major challenges to our scientific knowledge and how those challenges can be satisfactorily met

Preface.- The Importance of Understanding the Nature of Scientific Knowledge.- Part I: General Features of Knowledge.- The Traditional Account of Knowledge.- Belief.- Truth.- Justification.- Evidence.- Basing a Belief on the Evidence.- A Problem for the Traditional Account of Knowledge.- Part II: Knowledge of Scientific Claims.- Explanation and Understanding.- From Explanation to Knowledge.- Part III: Challenges to Scientific Knowledge.- Skepticism about the External World.- Skepticism about Induction.- Empirical Evidence of Irrationality.- Anti-Realism about Science.- Part IV: Social Dimensions of Scientific Knowledge.- Gaining Scientific Knowledge from Others.- Knowledge in a Scientific Community.- Looking Back and Looking Forward.- Notes.- References.- Index.