Abstract

Knowledge, in the framework of recent naturalized epistemology, has devoted a certain interest in the definition of natural kinds and the accompanying studies related to their acquisition. Moreover, there is a widespread consensus in univocally considering knowledge as truth conducing. The purpose of this thesis will be to analyze the possibility of including artifacts in the definition of knowledge without altering the epistemological context. The main sources of research are naturalized epistemology, neuroscience, neuropsychology, perceptual studies and evolutionary psychology. A particular emphasis is also placed on the study of emotions and their relation to cognition. In order to accomplish the purpose aforementioned, I will, on the one hand, present and challenge some of the main epistemological tenets and, on the other hand, in the last part of this work, I will introduce the example of art as a case of study. Hence, after introducing the methodological framework, I will discuss the problem of natural kinds and the definition of knowledge focusing on the problem of perceptual kinds. The following section will analyze false beliefs and the possibility of grounding them in evolution and reasoning. Whereas the first part is mainly negative, the last part, based on the previously developed counterarguments, will expose the possibility of "naturalizing artifacts" through the study of emotions and perception