Epistemology: Understanding Knowledge and Truth

epistemology

The study of knowledge and truth, focusing on how knowledge is acquired and validated.

two main goals of epistemology

To show how knowledge is acquired and to provide a method for demonstrating if knowledge is truly valid.

knowledge defined in epistemology

A mental grasp of reality reached by perceptual observation or reasoning based on observation.

starting point of acquiring knowledge

Reality or existence, which encompasses everything that is perceived and our inner world.

importance of perception the process of acquiring knowledge

It is the first and only way we directly interact with reality and forms the basis of our initial knowledge.

first-level concepts in the knowledge acquisition process

Simple ideas like 'dog' or 'man' that are formed by noticing similarities among perceived things.

proposition in the context of knowledge

A statement that asserts or denies something, typically in a declarative sentence format.

role of inference in proving truth

To provide an argument where premises support a conclusion, demonstrating the truth of a statement.

empiricism

A philosophical approach that asserts knowledge comes primarily through sensory experience.

key proponent of empiricism

John Locke.

rationalism

A philosophical approach that asserts knowledge comes primarily through reasoning and innate ideas.

key proponent of rationalism

René Descartes.

ultimate basis of true knowledge

All true knowledge ultimately relies on sense perception.

validation of knowledge

By retracing the steps of acquisition and asking how a belief was formed.

truth

Truth is knowledge validated by facts

Correspondence Theory of Truth

A statement is true if it corresponds to the way things are based on facts.

Coherence Theory of Truth

A statement is true if it fits consistently within a larger system of ideas tested against reality.

Pragmatist Theory of Truth

A belief is true if it has useful applications in the world and can be evaluated by its practical consequences.

fact

A piece of information having objective reality, independent of beliefs or opinions.

opinion

A judgment based on personal convictions that may not be factual or truthful.

significance of the knowledge hierarchy

It illustrates how concepts are built from perceptual knowledge, with more abstract knowledge further from the base.

types of propositions

Affirmative (e.g., 'Men are mortals') and Negative (e.g., 'Men are not mortals').

process of reduction in validating knowledge

Retracing the steps of belief formation to confirm its validity.

limitation of the Coherence Theory

It may not always be justified when applied to empirical data without support from other theories.

example of a belief that may be useful but not necessarily true

Believing in ghosts might be useful for explaining phenomena but does not confirm their existence.

role of thinking in the process of acquiring knowledge

Thinking is the second half of knowing, requiring sensory data to provide content.

Heraclitus's quote about knowledge acquisition and validation implication

The process of acquiring knowledge is mirrored in the process of validating it.

opinion

a judgment based on personal convictions.