Knowledge and Doubt Flashcards
What is the study of Epistemology?
it is the study or theory of knowledge
its concerned with how we acquire knowledge
is whether knowledge is possible
What is knowledge (three types)?
there are three types of knowledge:
knowledge HOW - i know how to ride a bike (ability or skills)
Knowledge THAT - i know that paris is in france (facts and info)
Knowledge OF - i know of a nice restaurant in town
knowledge is “justified, true belief”
What is the tripartite theory of knowledge?
knowledge as justified true belief
e.g. farmer jones believes Daisy the cow is in the field (belief) farmer jones checks to see if daisy is in fact in the field (justified) farmer jones finds daisy in the field (true)
What is a belief?
a proposition that is held to be true and can be supported without evidence
e.g. i believe in ghosts
What is knowledge?
a proposition that is believed is true and can be supported by evidence
e.g. i know that smoking is bad for you
What is certainty?
a proposition where there is no doubt about its truth
e.g. i am certain that 2+2 = 4
What is propositional knowledge?
is knowing THAT as opposed to knowing HOW
What is necessary truth?
something which is true and could not conceivably be not be true
something which is true in all possible words
squares have 4 sides is necessary
what is the contingent truth?
something which is true but could conceivably be not true
something which is not true in all possible words
Edinburgh is the capital of scotland’ is contingent
what is the accidental correctness?
when something turns out to be true by accident
e.g. gettier’s watch example
i look at my normally reliable watch to find out the time. It says that it is 2:15 moreover it is in fact 2:15 hence i can lay claim to the belief that “i know it is 2:15. however unbeknown to me my watch stopped at exactly 2:15 the previous day
What is empiricism?
stands in opposition of rationalis
denies the possibility of reality via pure reason
all knowledge of reality must be A POSTERIORI
it also denies the possibility of innate knowledge
Is based on sense experience
our minds are like a blank slate at birth (tabula rasa)
modelled on the natural sciences
What are empiricists rejection of innate ideas?
Nothing can be found in the mind that cannot first be found in the senses
all knowledge is based on sense experience
all ideas can be traced back to experience
there is no universal consent - especially true of moral and religious truths
no plausible explanation of where innate ideas would originate
a blind man whose sight was restored would not be able to differentiate between a sphere and a cube alone
Mathematical truths require the empirical acquisition of symbols
based on a confusion between intuitive knowledge and innate ideas
What are innate ideas?
are knowledge that we have WITHIN us
Innate ideas - fully formed - DESCARTES
e.g. maths, religious, moral, secondary, qualities, fundamental concepts
What is Rationalism?
the belief that some knowledge can be gained through reason alone
acceptance of innate ideas
the claim that some knowledge can be acquired through reasoning alone
belief in innate ideas
rejects of empiricism
emphasis on deductive rather than inductive learning
championing of maths as a model for knowledge
emphasis on A PRIORI truths
What are limitations of reason as a source of knowledge?
reason might be unreliable
Particularly a problem for rationalists who wish to ground knowledge in the reliability of human reason
