Knowledge and Doubt

Question 1

What is A Priori knowledge?

Answer 1

A Priori knowledge is knowledge acquired by the mind/logic

Question 2

What is A Posteriori knowledge?

Answer 2

A Posteriori knowledge is knowledge acquired by the senses/experience

Question 3

What is procedural knowledge?

Answer 3

Procedural knowledge is knowing how. E.g. “I know how to ride a bike”

Question 4

What is propositional knowledge?

Answer 4

Propositional knowledge is knowing that. E.g. “I know that Paris is the capital of France”

Question 5

What is knowledge about?

Answer 5

Knowledge about is knowing of. E.g. “I know of black holes”

Question 6

What is Plato’s Triparte Theory of Knowledge?

Answer 6

Plato’s Triparte Theory of Knowledge states that, in order to have true knowledge, your claim must be justified, true, and believed

Question 7

What are the two theories on how knowledge is acquired?

Answer 7

Rationalism and Empiricism

Question 8

What is rationalism?

Answer 8

Rationalism is the theory that knowledge is acquired through reason

Question 9

What is empiricism?

Answer 9

Empiricism is the theory that knowledge is acquired through sense experience

Question 10

What are the 3 main criticisms of Plato’s Triparte Theory of Knowledge?

Answer 10

Scepticism, the Gettier Problem, the Infinite Regress Argument

Question 11

What do sceptics believe?

Answer 11

Sceptics believe that true knowledge is impossible

Question 12

What are the 2 types of scepticism?

Answer 12

Local scepticism and global scepticism

Question 13

What is local scepticism?

Answer 13

Local scepticism is scepticism about a specific knowledge claim. E.g. the supernatural, God

Question 14

What is the Gettier problem?

Answer 14

The Gettier problem is the problem of accidental correctness, E.g. the sheep-shaped rock, the twin teacher

Question 15

What is the infinite regress argument?

Answer 15

The infinite regress argument is the argument that every claim needs justification, leading to endless (infinite) questioning

Question 16

What is an innate idea?

Answer 16

An innate idea is an idea that is natural to the human mind/built-in at birth

Question 17

Who believes in innate ideas, rationalists or empiricists?

Answer 17

Rationalists believe in innate ideas

Question 18

Was John Locke a rationalist or an empiricist?

Answer 18

John Locke was an empiricist

Question 19

Was Leibniz a rationalist or an empiricist?

Answer 19

Leibniz was a rationalist

Question 20

Who made the blank slate argument?

Answer 20

John Locke made the blank slate argument

Question 21

Who made the veined block of marble argument?

Answer 21

Leibniz made the veined block of marble argument

Question 22

What does the veined block of marble argument say?

Answer 22

It says that just as a block of marble has veins making a shape that is ready to be sculpted, so too does the mind have innate ideas built in

Question 23

What does the blank slate argument say?

Answer 23

It says that our minds are completely empty, like a blank slate, when we are born

Question 24

What are the 3 main problems with rationalism?

Answer 24

Leibniz’s argument doesn’t prove that innate ideas exist, a priori knowledge cant tell us anything important, a priori knowledge only gives us symbolic knowledge of the world

Question 25

What are the 3 main problems with empiricism?

Answer 25

The difference between appearance and reality (can we trust our senses?), solipsism, without innate ideas where did our morals come from?

Question 26

What is solipsism?

Answer 26

Solipsism is the view that we cant know if anything exists outside of our mind. So, we can’t trust our senses or experiences of the world as everyone might experience things differently. This would mean knowledge claims become subjective.