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Epistemology

Epistemology[1] is the philosophy of knowledge.[2] It seeks to answer the questions "What is knowledge?" and "How is knowledge acquired?"

Epistemologists

Epistemologists are philosophers who are interested in questions such as whether it is possible to have knowledge, what kind of knowledge there is, and how people come to know things.

Examples

One of the first philosophers to make a clear statement on these questions was Xenophanes (570 – 470 BC). The following saying was, and still is, famous:

"Certain truth has no man... for even if he ever succeeds in saying what is true, he will never know it".[3]

This is an early form of skepticism.

Notable questions

Notable positions

  1. Knowing how vs. knowing that: This was an idea of Gilbert Ryle. Moral questions, for example, may come down to knowing how to behave. Science could be about knowing that something is the case.[4]
  2. Rational vs. empirical knowledge: Rational knowledge (if it exists) is knowledge built up from a person's internal thought. Empirical knowledge is built up from what is received through the senses.[5][6]
  3. Error: Knowledge cannot err vs. the possibility of making mistakes is an essential part of knowledge (Ludwig Wittgenstein).

There are other debates of this kind.[7][8]

Epistemology Media

  • Bertrand Russell originated the distinction between propositional knowledge and knowledge by acquaintance.

  • The analytic–synthetic distinction has its roots in the philosophy of Immanuel Kant.

  • The so-called traditional analysis says that knowledge is justified true belief. Edmund Gettier tried to show that some justified true beliefs do not amount to knowledge.

  • Diagram of foundationalism, coherentism, and infinitism with arrows symbolizing support between beliefs. According to foundationalism, some basic beliefs are justified without support from other beliefs. According to coherentism, justification requires that beliefs mutually support each other. According to infinitism, justification requires that beliefs form infinite support chains.

  • Alvin Goldman was an influential defender of externalism.[9]

  • Elizabeth Anderson, philosopher (cropped)

  • Tibet, c. 15th-16th century - Portrait of Dharmakirti - 2010.474 - Cleveland Museum of Art

  • Frans Hals - Portret van René Descartes

Related pages

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lua error in Module:Commons_link at line 62: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value)..
  1. ↑ from the Greek words episteme = science and logos = word/speech
  2. ↑ Concise Oxford Dictionary
  3. ↑ Guthrie W.K.C. 1962. A history of Greek philosophy. Vol 1: the earlier Presocratics and the Pythagoreans. Cambridge. p395 (quotation abbreviated)
  4. ↑ Ryle, Gilbert. 1949. The concept of mind, chapter 2.
  5. ↑ Ayer A.J. 1956. The problem of knowledge.
  6. ↑ Russell, Bertrand 1914. Our knowledge of the external world.
  7. ↑ Woozley A.D. 1949. Theory of knowledge. (elementary)
  8. ↑ Hamlyn D.W. 1970. Theory of knowledge. (more advanced)
  9. ↑ BonJour 2016.
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