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Updated: Aug 10, 2026
10:17
The Tail Suspension Test
Published on: January 28, 2012
Suspension of judgment, hinge style
Oscar A Piedrahita1,2, Sebastian Schmidt2,3
1Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands.
Synthese
|August 9, 2026
Summary
Hinge epistemology explains justified belief using foundational assumptions, or hinges. This study argues justified suspension of judgment also relies on a hinge, specifically acknowledging one's fallibility, to be rational.
Area of Science:
- Epistemology
- Philosophy of Mind
- Decision Theory
Background:
- Hinge epistemology posits that epistemic justification requires unquestioned assumptions (hinges).
- Existing hinge epistemology primarily addresses justified belief, neglecting justified suspension of judgment.
- The framework's applicability to justified suspension of judgment remains underexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role and justification of suspending judgment within hinge epistemology.
- To identify challenges in accounting for justified suspension of judgment in current hinge frameworks.
- To propose a novel account of justified suspension of judgment grounded in hinge epistemology.
Main Methods:
- Philosophical analysis of hinge epistemology and epistemic justification.
- Argumentation addressing problems in existing accounts of justified suspension.
- Development of a new theoretical model for justified suspension of judgment.
Main Results:
- Suspending judgment, similar to belief and disbelief, requires a foundational hinge for intelligibility and justification.
- Acknowledging one's fallibility serves as the hinge for justified suspension of ordinary propositions.
- This fallibility hinge resolves identified problems and integrates suspension into epistemic rationality.
Conclusions:
- Justified suspension of judgment is a legitimate component of hinged epistemic rationality.
- The proposed fallibility hinge clarifies the epistemic status of suspension.
- This account connects hinge epistemology with higher-order evidence and reasons for suspension.
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