3.1.1 WHAT IS KNOWLEDGE

Question 1

acquaintance knowledge?

Answer 1

knowledge we have ‘of’ something
- we are acquainted with something because it is familiar and we are aware of it
-we become acquainted with something/someone through direct interaction
-you don’t need to be able to explain what you have knowledge of
-(you may know the taste of pineapple without being able to describe it or knowing any facts about it

Question 2

Ability (practical) knowledge

Answer 2

involves having knowledge about ‘how’ to do something
-involves being able to carry out a task using a skill you may/may not have knowledge on
-you do not have to understand, communicate or be conscious of what you are doing

Question 3

Propositional (factual) knowledge

Answer 3

Knowledge that can be true or false. it is knowledge ‘that’ something is the case.
-it is knowledge that can be explained using language. if you claim to know something then you can claim that that ‘something’ is true

Question 4

Proposition?

Answer 4

a statement about what someone believes is the case
- its about a situation or the world that a person believes exists or occurs.
- has to do with the meaning in a sentence, it contains to elements: the subject and the predicate
-a proposition is a sentence that is either true or false about the subject
-e.g. ‘the grass (subject) is green (predicate)’

Question 5

what is the difference between acquaintance, ability, propositional knowledge?

Answer 5

propositional knowledge is expressed in language and so it involves holding beliefs
acquaintance knowledge and ability knowledge do not involve holding beliefs.
-if I have knowledge that the grass is green, I believe this to be true. in other words, I agree with this proposition.

Question 6

Belief?

Answer 6

a thought about the world and the way it works.
-it is a mental representation which alleges that something is the case. beliefs can be true or false.
-you may not know if a certain belief is false but not knowing won’t stop yo from having that belief

Question 7

a fact?

Answer 7

something definite about the world.
- cannot be true or false
-they’re what make true sentences true

Question 8

John Lockes nature of definitions?

Answer 8

argued that two types of definitions exist:
1. definitions that are based on the essence of the thing you are describing e.g. the strawberry is sweet, red, seeds on surface
2. definitions that are not based on the essence off the thing you’re describing
e.g seagulls are vermin

Question 9

Zagzebski on definitions that do not include the essence

Answer 9

argued that definitions that don’t include the essence are arterial definitions & are not proper definitions

Question 10

Zagzebski’s belief about knowledge?

Answer 10

argued that knowledge does not have an essence because ideas of knowledge have changed over time
-so knowledge is RELATIVE (dependent on time and place and has non fixed meaning that will always stand)
-argues that we should still try to find a definition of K, despite the fact that it does not have an essence
-argues that we can define knowledge on: (1)how it can be analysed (philosophical) (2) what causes it (casual)

Question 11

what definitions of knowledge does zagzebski think we should avoid?

Answer 11

-circular
-obscure
-negative
ad hoc

Question 12

circular definiton

Answer 12

definitions that define something by using the term you are trying to define

Question 13

obscure definiton

Answer 13

complicated definitions that make it even more difficult to understand the concept

Question 14

negative

Answer 14

when something is defined in terms of what it is not

Question 15

Ad hoc

Answer 15

definitions that are too specific to an issue relating to a concept