Ullian, J. S.

J. S. Ullian (1930-2016) was an American philosopher best known for his collaboration with W.V.O. Quine on "The Web of Belief" (1970), a influential work in epistemology that made complex philosophical ideas about knowledge and belief accessible to broader audiences. While not primarily focused on philosophy of religion, the book's holistic approach to belief systems had significant implications for religious epistemology. Ullian and Quine argued that our beliefs form an interconnected web where changes in one area affect others, and that beliefs closer to the periphery are more easily revised than central ones. This framework has been applied to analyze how religious beliefs function within broader belief systems, how they resist or accommodate change, and how rational belief revision occurs in theological contexts. Ullian's work contributed to understanding the epistemic status of religious beliefs within naturalistic philosophy.