The Pragmatic Encroachments

Pragmatic encroachment refers to the idea that practical considerations can affect our knowledge claims. In simple terms, it suggests that the context and consequences of a belief influence whether we can truly know something. For instance, if stakes are high—like deciding whether to trust a doctor’s diagnosis—we might require stronger evidence to say we "know" something than we would in a casual context. This challenges traditional views of knowledge, which often focus solely on justification and truth, by highlighting how the importance of a situation can shape our understanding of what it means to know something.