Theory Of knowledge Flashcards
Knowledge claim about the past
Part of the vast collection of knowledge we have about our past.
We know that Neil Armstrong was the first man to walk on the moon.
Practical knowledge
The kind of knowledge we have about how to do things, like how to swim, play a violin or read Mandarin. It is necessarily personal.
Valid
Well-grounded or justified.
Shared knowledge
What we know as part of a group or community; for example, what we learn through the curriculum at school is a set of skills and information agreed on by educators, politicians and others as important knowledge by our society.
Inductive reasoning
Moves from particular observations, experiences, or data to general conclusions.
For example, my particular experiment observation that magnesium appears to increase its mass when it is burnt could lead me to the general conclusion that ‘all magnesium appears to increase its mass when burnt’.
Distributed knowledge
The combined knowledge of all individuals in an organization, society, nation or the world.
The more complex and knowledgeable a society or an organization becomes, the more it must rely on distributed knowledge.
No one knows everything there is to know, and we must often call on experts for their skills and advice.
Types of knowledge
A priori (before experience).
A posteriori (after experience).
First-hand knowledge (knowledge we gain ourselves).
Second-hand knowledge (knowledge we acquire from other sources).
Newton’s Law of Gravitation
Every particle of matter in the universe attracts every other particle with a force that is directly proportional to the product of the masses of the particles and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.
Mathematics Knowledge Framework
Mathematics could be regarded as the most perfect system of knowledge we have.
It is largely disconnected from the real world. The trouble with mathematics is that the things it studies and whose properties it explores with such a great certainty do not actually exist (a perfect circle does not exist).
The instances of mathematical concepts we have in the real world are only ever approximations.
Sensory perception
Our senses help us understand the world around us, but these are only as good as our sensory apparatus and our brain’s interpretation of the data it receives.
The way in which we perceive things is unique.
As well as hearing, vision, smell, taste and touch, we have many other senses including motion, equilibrium, pain and temperature.
WOK Imagination
Imagination is a source of knowledge.
It is often associated with creativity, thinking outside the box and letting imagination take over can lead to new knowledge.
Imagination is needed for speculating about the past and the future.
Reason
Reason is often thought to be a defining characteristic of what it is to be human.
When we construct an argument or justify a belief, we are using reason.
Coincidence
When two or more events happen at the same time independently of each other.
Neither coincidence nor correlation implies causation.
Knowledge claim
Statement in which we claim to know something.
WOK Sense Perception
The sense data our brain receives is determined by the biology of our senses: sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell, sense of heat, pain, movement and balance.
Technology exists to upgrade our sense perception
WOK Emotion
What we feel may be influenced by the culture we live in.
Feelings can be regarded as obstacle to our knowledge or a source of knowledge (help is understand ourselves and make decisions).
Memory
We cannot know anything without memory.
Memory can be very personal-only you hace immediate access to your memories.
Collective memories of present and past generations are available to us all through books and these memories allow us to build on the knowledge and achievement of others.
Causation
When one event leads to another event, for example kicking a football causes the ball to move.
Knowledge definition
Justified true belief.
Knowledge claim supported by substantial evidence and/or valid reasoning
Intuition
Intuition is nothing but the outcome of earlier intellectual experience.
Intuition is a way of knowing without relying on reasons or justification.
Ideas that are subconsciously based upon previous knowledge and experience.
It is used in math and science to find a way to a solution.
Intuition are the things the brain knows that we do not know we know.
Methods
The procedures and processes used to gain knowledge.
Quantitative methods include statistical analysis, mathematical modeling, and laboratory experiments.
Qualitative methods might include observations, interviews, questionnaires and case studies.
Knowledge by acquaintance
Personal knowledge we have first hand.
Includes knowing ourselves, people we have met, places we have been to, or the taste of things we have eaten. Includes also knowledge we acquire through reasoning.
WOK Intuition
Intuition is our instinct or gut feeling.
Intuitive feelings aren’t always reliable or correct.
Proof
Enough evidence to claim something as true.