John Bengson is a contemporary analytic philosopher at the University of Wisconsin–Madison whose work spans epistemology, the philosophy of mind, and metaethics. He is best known for his investigations into the nature of intuitions, understanding, and the evidential role of experience—including non-conceptual perceptual states. His research challenges strong intellectualist and conceptualist constraints on justification and knowledge.
Developed an influential account of intellectual intuitions as a genuine source of a priori evidence
Co-authored foundational work on the nature of understanding as a cognitive achievement distinct from mere belief
Argued that non-conceptual experience can stand in direct evidential relations to propositions, broadening perceptual epistemology
Contributed to debates on the relationship between phenomenal consciousness and epistemic justification
Advanced research on moral intuitions and their role in ethical methodology
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