Introduction to knowledge

Question 1

What is epistemology?

Answer 1

Word comes from two Greek words:
“Episteme” = Knowledge and understanding
“Logia” = Science, study

Question 2

What is knowledge?

Answer 2

Justified, true belief

Question 3

How to justify a belief?

Answer 3

With good quality, logical and reasonable evidence

Question 4

What are the two major branches of epistemology?

Answer 4

Empiricism- True knowledge is primarily focused on input from our senses. Experience and observations.

Rationalism- Emphasises reason over experiences and observations. Rational human mind and logic.

Question 5

Why is epistemology used in a non philosophical context?

Answer 5

Part of everyday academic work. Impact on scientific endeavours- Discussing limits and possibilities of creating and reporting new knowledge.

Question 6

What is formal epistemology?

Answer 6

What is knowledge? How may a belief be justified? How do we know if something is true?
Non-philosphical

Question 7

What is genetic epistemology?

Answer 7

Cognitive development of children. How they learn and interact through:
Sensory-motor schemes (impressions and experiences)
Affects symbolic systems (thoughts and knowledge)

Question 8

What is social epistemology?

Answer 8

Social context for creating new knowledge.
Sociology, psychology, education
Historical, cultural, access to education

Question 9

What are three types of knowledge

Answer 9

Ability knowledge- e.g. knowing “how to” something
Acquaintance knowledge- e.g. knowing someone who lives in London or something specific about them
Propositional knowledge- asserts facts in declarative sentence. e.g. “2x2=4”

Question 10

Why is propositional knowledge called “Knowledge that”

Answer 10

Asserting fact doesn’t mean it is true. Proposition can be true or false.

Question 11

Why is it a key task to distinguish between different types of propositional knowledge?

Answer 11

It is a broad field and it is important to know if different types are knowable or not. Our knowledge about knowledge (meta-epistemology)

Question 12

What criteria do we use to distinguish types of propositional knowledge?

Answer 12

Non-empirical knowledge= Independent or prior to experience. Don’t need the experience to acquire it, just reason. ie. Mathematical and logical. Metaphysics was seen as A-priori.

Empirical knowledge= Dependent and subsequent of experiences.

Question 13

The definition of truth

Answer 13

A belief which is justified and true

Question 14

The definition of fabillism

Answer 14

The principle that propositions concerning empirical knowledge can be accepted even though they cannot be proved with certainty.

Question 15

The definition of non-occurrent

Answer 15

Belief is not conceived or thought of.

Question 16

What are Gettier Cases

Answer 16

1963 paper by Edmund Gettier- necessary and sufficient conditions for something to be knowledge.
Justification is actually not enough to eliminate luck.

Question 17

Classic example of Gettier Case

Answer 17

• Hyperrealistic screens with barn images
• Belief you are driving next to barns, see barns and therefore it is true
• Barns are fake so belief is false although it is justified

Question 18

What is a key issue of justification?

Answer 18

Neither Gettier nor previous epistemologists had provided sufficiently clear
and adequate analyses of justification

Question 19

Counter argument to Gettier Cases

Answer 19

No false lemmas:
Belief must be true and justified but not based on any false belief.
No defeaters that are left undefeated: Hidden truths that makes your knowledge false

Question 20

Problems with No-False-Lemmas condition

Answer 20

-It is too strict, rules out some cases of knowledge
-e.g. Detective has loads of evidence and witnesses about the culprit but one false witness= false grounds= no knowledge
-Not all Gettier cases are based on inference on a false belief.
E.g. Indian tradition: Traveller hallucinates water but it’s actually in dessert under a rock. He didn’t infer under false belief, was true and justified since realistic hallucination but not knowledge

Question 21

Problems with No-Deafeter analysis