philosophy epistemology test 1

Propositional Knowledge

The type of knowledge that can be expressed in the form of declarative statements, understanding that a particular statement or fact is true.

Acquaintance knowledge

Direct knowledge of something through experience.

Ability knowledge

Practical skills of performing a task, like swimming, which is learned through practice and experience rather than explicit instructions.

Real definition

Picks out some underlying reality about the object/event’s nature

E.g. a triangle is a three-sided polygon

Artificial Definition

Picks out ways that we classify the world that reflects our classifications but not an underlying reality.

E.g. a “planet” is a celestial body that orbits a star.

Necessary condition

Something that must be present for another condition to occur. Without that, you could not have the thing in question.

E.g. air is necessary for human life → human beings must have air to live

Sufficient condition

Something that, when true or present, guarantees that another thing is also true or present.

E.g. being a doctor is a sufficient condition for having a job. You can conclude the person has a job, though many other jobs exist.

Tripartite account of knowledge

The theory of justified true belief (JTB) says that for someone to know a proposition, they must meet 3 conditions: (1) belief, they must believe in the proposition; (2) truth, the proposition must be true; and (3) justification, the person must have sufficient evidence or reasons for their belief