William Alston
William Alston | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 29, 1921 Shreveport, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Died | September 13, 2009 (aged 87) Jamesville, New York, U.S. |
| Education | |
| Alma mater | University of Chicago |
| Philosophical work | |
| Era | Contemporary philosophy |
| Region | Western philosophy |
| School | Analytic philosophy |
| Notable ideas | Epistemic justification |
William Payne Alston (November 29, 1921 – September 13, 2009) was an American philosopher. He is widely considered to be one of the most important epistemologists and philosophers of religion of the twentieth century, and is also known for his work in metaphysics and the philosophy of language. His views on foundationalism, internalism and externalism, speech acts, and the epistemic value of mystical experience, among many other topics, have been very influential. He earned his PhD from the University of Chicago and taught at the University of Michigan, Rutgers University, University of Illinois, and Syracuse University.