Knowledge Essay, Research Paper

Philosophy-Knowledge

1. 3 kinds of knowledge-

- knowledge by acquaintance (weak)

- knowing how- (weak)

- knowing why- (strong)

2. Three Requirements for knowledge

- Must be true

- Must believe it

- Must have good reason for believing it is true

3. Know in the strong sense- direct sense, seeing touching ect.

4. Knowing in the weak sense- based on the past, a belief, text books, memories ect.

5. Skepticism- position that you can never really KNOW anything in the strong sense. Verification is impossible.

6. Confirmation- reasons, or evidence to support a statement or belief. 5 out of 10 marbles are black, confirmation that they are all black.

7. Verification- collecting all evidence to support a statement or belief.

8. Experience and Knowledge are not the same- experience is having done something; knowledge is being able to explain it.

Good Reasons for Claiming Knowledge

1. Sense Perception

2. Logic

3. Intuition

4. Self-awareness- I know I have a headache

5. Memory

6. Authority

7. Consensus Gentian

8. Revelation- truth is revealed

9. Faith

? Science is predictive

? Spiritual systems are postdictive

Ways of Gaining Knowledge

RationalismEmpiricismIntuition

? Use reason- it’s the true source of knowledge.

(science)? Knowledge is experience.

(science)? A feeling, inner source of knowledge.

Important People

Karl Popper- Nature of Induction

? Hypothesis can never be proven, it can always be retested.

? Scientific Induction- reasoning from a fact or case to a general conclusion.

W.V.O. Quine- The Problem of the Auxiliary Hypothesis

? A negative result cannot overturn a scientific hypothesis. Evidence can always be called into doubt.