Final answer:
True, an account of conduct must be detailed and internally consistent to be believable, aligning with the coherence theory of truth and the Justified True Belief (JTB) account of knowledge. Despite this, issues arise such as true beliefs based on false premises that do not constitute true knowledge. Literature parallels this by using consistent narratives to create believable stories, relating to Realistic or Naturalistic fiction.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question touches on the concept of knowledge and how we can reliably claim to know something. In the context of the initially stated question, it is true that an account of conduct must be detailed and internally consistent to be believable. This requirement is aligned with several well-established epistemological theories. For instance, the coherence theory of truth argues that for a belief to be considered true, it must consistently fit with a given set of other beliefs. However, this theory faces the challenge of potentially having a coherent set of false beliefs. The correspondence element comes into play when we verify the first judgments against the facts of the world. A belief is justified when supported by evidence, aligning with the traditional Justified True Belief (JTB) account of knowledge, which argues that knowledge requires belief, truth, and justification.
However, problems arise from this traditional account when true beliefs are derived from false premises, leading to a lucky guess rather than true knowledge. This issue, highlighted in the works of philosophers like Harman, has led to additional criteria that the reasoning leading to a belief must not involve falsehoods. Considerations of knowledge also extend into other realms such as religious experiences, where the veridicality—truthfulness and accuracy—of such experiences is often debated.
In literature, when a writer creates a consistent narrative, they are enhancing the believability for the reader. This concept is similar to creating a narrative that could be true in real-life situations, corresponding to elements of Realistic or Naturalistic fiction.