1.1 Methods of Knowing and Acquiring Knowledge

Question 1

Methods of acquiring knowledge

Answer 1

ways in which a person can know things or discover answers to questions

Question 2

The Method of Tenacity

Answer 2

Information is accepted as true because it has always been believed or because superstition supports it

Question 3

What are the problems with The Method of Tenacity?

Answer 3

1. The information acquired might not be accurate
2. No method for correcting erroneous ideas (A belief that is widely accepted can be very difficult to change)

Question 4

The Method of Intuition

Answer 4

Information is accepted on the basis of a hunch or “gut feeling”

Question 5

What are the problems with The Method of Intuition?

Answer 5

No mechanism for separating accurate from inaccurate knowledge

Question 6

Method of Authority

Answer 6

A person relies on information or answers from an expert in the subject area

Question 7

What are the problems with The Method of Authority?

Answer 7

1. Biased authorities
2. Answers could represent subjective personal opinions
3. Expertise in one area is assumed to be able to be generalized to other topics

Question 8

Method of Faith

Answer 8

A variant of the method of authority in which people have unquestioning trust in the authority figure and, therefore, accept information from the authority without doubt or challenge

Question 9

How do you increase confidence in the information obtained?

Answer 9

1. Evaluate information sources
2. Second opinion
3. Don’t accept info at face value

Question 10

The Rational Method (Rationalism)

In logical reasoning, premise statements

An argument

Answer 10

Seeks answers using logical reasoning.

Describe facts or assumptions that are presumed to be true.

A set of premise statements that are logically combined to yield a conclusion

Question 11

What are the limitations of The Rational Method?

Answer 11

The conclusion is not necessarily true unless both premise statements are true

Ex: Violent, head-to-head contact in football games causes concussions.

John has a concussion.

Therefore, John experienced violent, head-to-head contact in a football game.

You can’t assume just because he plays football that the injury came from football

Question 12

Empirical Method (Empiricism)

Answer 12

Attempts to answer questions by direct observation or personal experience

Uses observation or direct sensory experience to obtain knowledge

Question 13

What are the limitations of the empirical method?

Answer 13

1. Perceptions can be drastically altered by prior knowledge, expectations, feelings, or beliefs
2. Possible to make accurate observations but misinterpret what you see
3. Time-consuming and sometimes dangerous