The relationship between virtue and knowledge in Linda Zagzebski

In this thesis, I try to determine what Linda Zagzebski's new approach is to the field of virtue epistemology, which is included in contemporary epistemological debates. The thesis is divided into five parts. In the first chapter, it is analysed that how the relationship between virtue and knowledge has been handled and discussed from the Ancient Greek, modern period and contemporary philosophy. In the second part, the two different variations of the virtue epistemology that we encounter in the literature, the main representatives of Virtue Reliabilism and Virtue Responsibilism, and their views are explained. The third part of my thesis is devoted to Linda Zagzebski's understanding of knowledge. The arguments and solution attempts of the virtue epistemology, which Zagzebski has advocated in the context of her approach to knowledge, especially three basic problems of epistemology such as The Value Problem, the Gettier Problem and the Challenge of Skepticism are examined. In the fourth chapter, it is tried to clarify the positive situations that epistemic virtues bring to the knower agent in the process of acquiring knowledge, and the situations where epistemic vices produce obstacles to the knower agent in the process of obtaining knowledge through various examples. The fifth chapter includes evaluation of the theory of knowledge uphold by Zagzebski. In the conclusion part, Zagzebski's virtue epistemology is examined. It is concluded that philosophical studies on the relationship between ethics and epistemology should be developed and furthered through interdisciplinary research. Key Words: Linda Zagzebski, Virtue Epistemology, epistemic virtues, epistemic vices