Knowledge and Doubt Flashcards
What is A Priori knowledge?
A Priori knowledge is knowledge acquired by the mind/logic
What is A Posteriori knowledge?
A Posteriori knowledge is knowledge acquired by the senses/experience
What is procedural knowledge?
Procedural knowledge is knowing how. E.g. “I know how to ride a bike”
What is propositional knowledge?
Propositional knowledge is knowing that. E.g. “I know that Paris is the capital of France”
What is knowledge about?
Knowledge about is knowing of. E.g. “I know of black holes”
What is Plato’s Triparte Theory of Knowledge?
Plato’s Triparte Theory of Knowledge states that, in order to have true knowledge, your claim must be justified, true, and believed
What are the two theories on how knowledge is acquired?
Rationalism and Empiricism
What is rationalism?
Rationalism is the theory that knowledge is acquired through reason
What is empiricism?
Empiricism is the theory that knowledge is acquired through sense experience
What are the 3 main criticisms of Plato’s Triparte Theory of Knowledge?
Scepticism, the Gettier Problem, the Infinite Regress Argument
What do sceptics believe?
Sceptics believe that true knowledge is impossible
What are the 2 types of scepticism?
Local scepticism and global scepticism
What is local scepticism?
Local scepticism is scepticism about a specific knowledge claim. E.g. the supernatural, God
What is the Gettier problem?
The Gettier problem is the problem of accidental correctness, E.g. the sheep-shaped rock, the twin teacher
What is the infinite regress argument?
The infinite regress argument is the argument that every claim needs justification, leading to endless (infinite) questioning
What is an innate idea?
An innate idea is an idea that is natural to the human mind/built-in at birth
Who believes in innate ideas, rationalists or empiricists?
Rationalists believe in innate ideas
Was John Locke a rationalist or an empiricist?
John Locke was an empiricist
Was Leibniz a rationalist or an empiricist?
Leibniz was a rationalist
Who made the blank slate argument?
John Locke made the blank slate argument
Who made the veined block of marble argument?
Leibniz made the veined block of marble argument
What does the veined block of marble argument say?
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
What does the blank slate argument say?
It says that our minds are completely empty, like a blank slate, when we are born
What are the 3 main problems with rationalism?
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
What are the 3 main problems with empiricism?
The difference between appearance and reality (can we trust our senses?), solipsism, without innate ideas where did our morals come from?
What is solipsism?
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.