Abstract

This chapter aims at clarifying the notion of cognitive vulnerability. To do this, I will present some epistemic phenomena that characterize it. I will highlight fallibilism as the principal element involved in cognitive vulnerability, but also describe two types of unreliability or distrust and disagreements, which I present as an extreme manifestation of cognitive vulnerability. As I present each of these elements, I will indicate the different aspects that impede cognitive vulnerability from being transformed into cognitive damage or harm. In this way, I hope to show that cognitive vulnerability does not imply any type of epistemic defeatism, since some version of cognitive success is always possible. In addition, I defend the idea that cognitive vulnerability is a part of a more general notion of vulnerability, a notion that is linked to the human condition.