Whatistheroleofconsciousnessinourmentallives?DeclanSmithiesarguesherethatconsciousnessisessentialtoexplaininghowwecanacquireknowledgeandjustifiedbeliefaboutourselvesandtheworldaroundus.Onthisview,unconsciousbeingscannotformjustifiedbeliefsandsotheycannotknowanythingatall.Consciousnessistheultimatebasisofallknowledgeandepistemicjustification.Smithiesbuildsasustainedargumentfortheepistemicroleofphenomenalconsciousnesswhichdrawsonarangeofconsiderationsinepistemologyandthephilosophyofmind.Hispositioncombinestwokeyclaims.Thefirstisphenomenalmentalism,whichsaysthatepistemicjustificationisdeterminedbythephenomenallyindividuatedfactsaboutyourmentalstates.Thesecondisaccessibilism,whichsaysthatepistemicjustificationisluminouslyaccessibleinthesensethatyou’realwaysinapositiontoknowwhichbeliefsyouhaveepistemicjustificationtohold.Smithiesintegratesthesetwoclaimsintoaunifiedtheoryofepistemicjustification,whichhecallsphenomenalaccessibilism.Thebookisdividedintotwoparts,whichconvergeonthistheoryofepistemicjustificationfromoppositedirections.Part1arguesfromthebottomupbydrawingonconsiderationsinthephilosophyofmindabouttheroleofconsciousnessinmentalrepresentation,perception,cognition,andintrospection.Part2arguesfromthetopdownbyarguingfromgeneralprinciplesinepistemologyaboutthenatureofepistemicjustification.Thesemutuallyreinforcingargumentsformthebasisforaunifiedtheoryoftheepistemicroleofphenomenalconsciousness,onethatbridgesthegapbetweenepistemologyandphilosophyofmind.
