Epistemology

Question 1

What is Nozick’s definition of Reliabilism?

Answer 1

If P is true
S believes P
In the situation you are in, or one that is similar, if p were not true you would not believe p.
In the situation you are in, or one that is similar, if were true you would believe p.

Question 2

What is one problem that comes up with reliabilism

Answer 2

Brain in a vat

Question 3

How can you try and argue against the issue with reliabilism?

Answer 3

I have two hands
If I have two hands I am not a brain in a vat
Therefore, I am not a brain in a vat

Question 4

Why is the couter argument to brain in a vat faulty?

Answer 4

There are two logical premises but a faulty conclusion. The principle of closure.

Question 5

Give def of epistemic virtue

Answer 5

Epistemic virtue: a skill, trait, ability of mind or person that contibutes to gaining of knowledge and forming true belief.

Question 6

In virtue epistemology you know p if :

Answer 6

p is true
you believe p
your true belief is the result of your exercising your episemic virtue.

Question 7

Give the three parts to the archer analogy and what they mean, represent.

Answer 7

Accuracy- did the arrow hit the target?
-TRUTH
Adroitness- was the arrow shot well?
- Did the belief form from the person’s epistemic virtues?
Aptness- did the arrow hit the target because it was shot well?
-Is the belief true because the person used their epistemic virtues in forming it?

Question 8

Why does the vtb theory not work with henrys barns

Answer 8

Either he doesn’t have the ability to identity barns or he guesses the real one by luck - then this is not apt knowledge

Question 9

Give part one of the coins gettier case

Answer 9

Smith and Jones apply for a job. Smith has ‘strong evidence’ for the CONJUNCTIVE propistion
a. Jones is the man who will get the hob, and jones has 10 coins in his pocket.

Question 10

Give part two of the coin gettier case

Answer 10

Smiths evidence is that the president assured him htat jones would get the job. Smith counted 10 coins in his pocket.
B. The man who will get the job has 10 coins in his pocket.

Smith accepts the entailment of (a) to (b) on the grounds of (a) which he has strong evidence for.

Question 11

Give part three of the gettier coin case

Answer 11

Unbeknownst to smith he will get the job- he also has 10 coins in his pocket. B is true, though inferred from A which is false.

B is true, Smith believes B is true, Smith is justified in believing B.

Question 12

Why does Smith not have real knowledge?

Answer 12

Believes B on the count of coins in Jones’ pocket, whom he falsely believes will get the job.
He is also not previously aware of the amount of coins in his own pocket.

Question 13

Jointly sufficient

Answer 13

Capturing every instance of knowledge without including anything which is not real knowledge (which is where Gettier comes in).

Question 14

Ability knowledge

Answer 14

Knowledge of HOW to do something

Question 15

Is J necessary in the JTB def. of knowledge?

Answer 15

Yes: - You can have a TRUE BELIEF that is formed on irrational grounds. E.g. The proposition ‘That youth is a thug because he is wearing a hoodie’ could not count as knowledge even if it were true because there is no adequate reason for believing it.

Question 16

Is T in JTB necessary?

Answer 16

People believed the earth was flat and could justify their claim, they were wrong and so had JB without knowledge as it was not true.

Question 17

What does Kuhn say about paradigms?

Answer 17

• Newtonion physics was replaced with Einstein’s theory of relativity.
• However, we experienced Newton’s laws and not ToR.

Kuhn says that when paradigms shift so do the concepts that we use to understand reality. Truth is relative.
Two paradigms can therefore be true on their own terms.
No ‘scientific knowledge’ only ‘justifed belief’ because science cannot be proved rationally or empirically

Question 18

Give the ‘no false lemmas’ argument.

Answer 18

J+T+B+N

S believes P
P is true
S has adequate justification for believing P
S did not infer P from anything else.

Question 19

Give an example of a lemma

Answer 19

‘The man who will get the job has ten coins in his pocket’

Question 20

Define a lemma

Answer 20

A claim made partway through an argument.

Question 21

Give the infallibilism argument

Answer 21

• No one can know what is false (‘clear and distinct ideas’
• Therefore, if I know p I must be certain about P.
• Therefore, for justification to secure knowledge, justification must secure truth.
• Therefore if I am justified in believing p i cannot be mistaken.
• Therefore if it is possible that I am mistaken then I cannot be justified in believing P.
• Therefore infallibalism is true.

false-certain-truth-mistaken-mistaken possible-con

Question 22

What is one thing that we can be certain in?

Answer 22

Mathematics

Question 23

What did Descartes say about infallibalism?

Answer 23

‘completely certain and dubitable’

Question 24

Give the argument for reliabilism.

Answer 24

If P is true
S believes P
Your belief is caused by a reliable cognitive process.

Question 25

Give some examples of a reliable cognitive process

Answer 25

Perception, memory, logic, testimony (a reliable source e.g. thermometer, compass, DNA, expert).

Question 26

How can you adjust the reliabilist formular to suit Henry’s barn issue?

Answer 26

If P is true
S believes P
S’s belief is caused by a reliable cognitive process.
You can discriminate between relevant possibilities in the actual situation.

Question 27

What is the definition of necessary?

Answer 27

Required in order to fulfill the conditions of a definition

Question 28

Acquaintance knowledge

Answer 28

Knowledge OF something or someone.

Question 29

Propositional knowledge

Answer 29

Knowledge THAT a person/statement is true/false

Question 30

Define a Gettier case

Answer 30

A situation in which we have a justified, true belief but not knowledge because the belief is only accidentally true given the evidence that justifies it.

Question 31

Tripartite formular for knowledge

Answer 31

S believes P
P is true
S has adequate justification for believing P