The Contrast‐sensitivity of Knowledge Ascriptions

Knowledge ascriptions are contrast‐sensitive. One natural explanation for this is that the knowledge relation is contrastive (s knows that p rather than q). But can the binary view of knowledge (s knows that p) explain contrast‐sensitivity? I review some of the linguistic data supporting contrast‐sensitivity, and critique the three main binary explanations for contrast‐sensitivity. I conclude that the contrast‐sensitivity of knowledge ascriptions shows that knowledge is a contrastive relation.