The Definition of knowledge Flashcards
Explain the JTB
A proposition is knowledge, if and only if;
You are JUSTIFIED in believing it
It is the TRUTH
You BELIEVE it to be true
What is a necessary condition?
Without that element you could not have the thing in question.
Without X you cannot have Y.
E.g. Being a man is necessary to being a father.
What is a sufficient condition?
Having certain necessary elements always guaranteeing the thing in question.
X and Y are sufficient conditions of Z. The occurrence of X and Y guarantees Z.
E.g. You cannot be a bachelor without being a man or without being unmarried.
Explain the first Gettier problem (Smith and Jones applying for a job).
Smith and Jones have applied for a job. Smith proposes that;
The man with 10 coins in their pocket will get the job. Jones has 10 coins and the president of the company has told Smith that Jones will be selected for the job.
Smith is justified in believing this because he has been informed that Jones will get the job. He believes it to be true - because of the company president. Little does Smith know that Jones doesn’t get the job, he does instead, he also has 10 coins in his pocket. This means his statement is justified, true and a belief so it passes the JTB but it isn’t knowledge.
What are the three alternative theories of the JTB to solve Gettier problems?
- Knowledge as a the feeling of certainty. Must be a justified true belief that you feel certain of.
- Knowledge as an infallible belief. Must be a justified belief which you are absolutely certain MUST be true.
- Knowledge as a fairly certain belief where the relevant alternatives are not possible. Must be a justified true belief with no false lemmas.
Explain no false lemmas.
A false lemma is a false assumption in the believers reasoning. In the Gettier problem, the job director telling Smith that Jones will get the job, is the false lemma. Because Smith’s justification was based on a false lemma, it is not knowledge.
Explain reliabilism (R+T+B).
The reliability of a process involved in generating a belief is a key factor in whether we should call it knowledge or not. The theory claims that knowledge is a true belief that is produced by a reliable process.
Explain the fake barn problem for no false lemmas.
Henry sees a barn in the countryside, he is justified in believing it is a barn because it would be typical to see one in a rural area. However, the town he is in has a number of fake barns, and he has only come across a real barn by chance. Therefore it is technically passing the JTB+no false lemmas but, it isn’t knowledge.
How would a reliabalist respond to fake barn?
Reliable processes depend on the context, on some occasions your sight can count as a reliable process, but not on every occasion. In the fake barn case, sight was not used reliably, therefore it was not knowledge.
Explain virtue epistemology.
The reliability of a belief lies in the intellectual virtues and vices of the person. Someone with a lot of intellectual virtues tend to have true beliefs. Someone with a lot of intellectual vices tend to have unreliable beliefs.
Explain Sosa’s archer analogy for virtue epistemology.
Accuracy - Whether it hits the target
Adroitness - How skilfully it was shot
Aptness - The habitual tendency of the adroitness (not just luck)
In order for something to be knowledge it must be; an adroit belief (formed by an intellectual virtue), an accurate belief and an apt belief (if it is accurate because it is adroit).
How would virtue epistemology refute fake barn?
The context would mean that exercising an intellectual virtue would not be properly adroit. Although, by chance Henry did identify the real barn, it was not apt because it was not a habitual tendency of adroitness, it was just luck.
Essay plan for the definition of knowledge
P - JTB A - Gettier problems C - No false lemmas E - JTB is knowledge A - Fake barns C - Virtue epistemology E - Sosa AAA
