The Definition of Knowledge Flashcards
What is the tripartite view of knowledge?
Knowledge is a justified, true belief (JTB)
What are necessary and sufficient conditions?
Necessary Conditions: The essential conditions needed to define knowledge; Justification, Truth, Belief
Sufficient Conditions: The conditions that are enough to define knowledge completely (JTB may be insufficient - Gettier cases)
What are the Gettier Cases?
Gettier Cases show that JTB is insufficient at defining knowledge.
Gettier Case 1: LUCKY; Smith & Jones interviewing for the same job, Smith hears interviewer say “I’m going to give Jones the job”, Smith also sees Jones count 10 coins from his pocket, thus forms the belief that “the man who will get the job has 10 coins in his pocket” BUT Smith gets the job, not Jones. Then Smith looks in his pocket and, by coincidence, he also has 10 coins in his pocket.
^ JTB that isn’t knowledge because it is only true by luck
Gettier Case 2: COINCIDENCE; Smith has justified belief “Jones owns a Ford”. Using principle of disjunctive introduction, Smith forms a further justified belief “Either Jones owns a Ford or Brown is in Barcelona”. Smith thinks his belief is true because the first condition is true (i.e. that Jones owns a Ford). BUT, turns out that Jones does not own a Ford. However, by sheer coincidence, Brown is in Barcelona.
^ JTB that is not knowledge because it is only true by coincidence
What are some other definitions of knowledge besides tripartite/JTB?
JTB + No False Lemmas
Reliabilism
Virtue Epistemology
Infalliblism
What is JTB + No False Lemmas
Defines knowledge as a justified true belief + that is not inferred from anything false (a false lemma)
✔️Avoids Gettier Cases
What is a problem of JTB+ No False Lemmas?
Fake Barn County
- Locals create fake barns that look real
- Henry is driving through fake barn county, but he doesn’t know the locals do this
- Henry often thinks “there’s a barn” when he looks at the fake barns
- These beliefs are not knowledge, because they are not true – the barns are fake
- However, on one occasion Henry looks at the one real barn and thinks “there’s a barn”
- This time the belief is true
It’s also justified by his visual perception of the barn
- And it’s not inferred from anything false.
^ Henry doesn’t have knowledge, he is just lucky that it was true and not a false lemma
> Therefore, the no false lemmas definition must be insufficient at defining knowledge
What is Reliabilism?
Knowledge = true belief caused by reliable method
✔️ Allows children and animals to have knowledge whereas JTB doesn’t because children and animals can’t justify their beliefs
What is a problem with Reliabilism?
Fake Barn County
Henry’s true belief “there’s a barn” is caused by a reliable cognitive process (visual perception)
Reliabilism would (incorrectly) say Henry knows “there’s a barn” even though his belief is only true as a result of LUCK.
What are intellectual virtues? (Virtue Epistemology)
Traits that aim at things like truth, knowledge, understanding, and wisdom
Intellectual virtues are about epistemic good.
E.g., an intellectually virtuous person would have traits such as: being rational, caring about what’s true, a good memory
Zagzebski’s definition of knowledge
Knowledge is a belief that arises from an act of intellectual virtue (truth, wisdom, memory, understanding)
Sosa’s definition of knowledge
- P is true
- Someone believes that P
- Someone’s true belief that P is a result of Someone exercising his intellectual virtues (accurate, adroit, apt)
Knowledge is a true belief that is a result of someone exercising their intellectual virtues
What are problems of virtue epistemology?
Rules out possibility of young children or babies possessing knowledge, despite the fact that they arguably can know many things
FAKE BARN COUNTY
What is Infallibilism?
Knowledge is a true belief justified to make it certain
Certainty, to philosophers like Descartes = impossibility of doubt
What is a problem of infallibilism?
It is too strict and unreasonable!
Descartes says almost anything can be doubted, so almost nothing can be knowledge
What is virtue epistemology?
Knowledge = virtuous, true belief
Knowledge is a true belief brought about by a virtuous intellectual disposition
