Knowledge Belief and Knowledge Belief and TruthTruth

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Prof.Dr Shadia Abd ElkaderProf.Dr Shadia Abd Elkader

KnowledgeKnowledge Epistemology Epistemology––

• the area ofthe area of philosophyphilosophy that deals that deals with questions concerningwith questions concerning knowledgeknowledge and that considers and that considers various theories ofvarious theories of knowledgeknowledge

  

Types of knowledgeTypes of knowledge

• KnowledgeKnowledge acquaintanceacquaintance • CompetenceCompetence knowledgeknowledge • PropositionalPropositional knowledgeknowledge

        

Acquaintance KnowledgeAcquaintance Knowledge   

        This is a kind ofThis is a kind of one has of people, one has of people, places, or things, by virtue of having places, or things, by virtue of having direct experience with them; in other direct experience with them; in other words, by being words, by being ""acquaintedacquainted" " with with themthem. . ThisThis knowledgeknowledge need not be need not be expressible in sentencesexpressible in sentences. .

  

Examples:Examples: I know my son. I know car. I know my son. I know car.

Knowledge CompetenceKnowledge Competence           

This is the kind ofThis is the kind of knowledgeknowledge you you have when you canhave when you can dodo something something without necessarily being able towithout necessarily being able to explainexplain howhow you do ityou do it. . It is a kind of It is a kind of skill or ability.skill or ability.    

Example:Example:  I knowI know howhow to ride a bike, even to ride a bike, even though I cannot explain to anyone though I cannot explain to anyone else exactly what I am doing else exactly what I am doing ((ee..gg.., , preciselyprecisely howhow I push my feet on the I push my feet on the pedalspedals, , whenwhen I make the very slight I make the very slight corrections to my steeringcorrections to my steering, , howhow I I manage to coordinate it all so that I manage to coordinate it all so that I ride in a straight line, etcride in a straight line, etc.) .)

Knowledge PropositionalKnowledge Propositional   

        This isThis is knowledgeknowledge that that ""suchsuch--andand--suchsuch" " is the caseis the case. . This is the kind ofThis is the kind of knowledgeknowledge one has of information and one has of information and factsfacts. . Unlike other kinds ofUnlike other kinds of knowledgeknowledge, , it it is always specifiableis always specifiable..  If I know  If I know thatthat humans have walked on the moon, then I humans have walked on the moon, then I can say what it is that I knowcan say what it is that I know. . In fact, I just In fact, I just diddid. .   

ExamplesExamples  I know that 2+2I know that 2+2==4, that my 4, that my daughter’s name is Savannah, and daughter’s name is Savannah, and that I graduated from the University that I graduated from the University of North Carolinaof North Carolina..

  

Knowledge justified as true Knowledge justified as true beliefbelief

  

    Person SPerson S knowsknows that statement p is true if that statement p is true if and only ifand only if

S believes that p is true.S believes that p is true. P is trueP is true. . S is sufficiently justified in believing that p S is sufficiently justified in believing that p

is trueis true. .

. .

As philosophers we should ask As philosophers we should ask ""why?why?" " about each of these three about each of these three conditionsconditions.  .  

Why Does Knowledge Require Why Does Knowledge Require BeliefBelief??

Propositional knowledge is always Propositional knowledge is always knowledge that "such-and-such." In knowledge that "such-and-such." In order to know that "such-and-such,” order to know that "such-and-such,” one has to have a representation of one has to have a representation of "such-and-such" in one’s mind. But "such-and-such" in one’s mind. But one must also think that “such-and-one must also think that “such-and-such” is true, else one might just be such” is true, else one might just be considering it or imagining it, rather considering it or imagining it, rather than knowing it. than knowing it.      

AA beliefbelief is a representation of some is a representation of some statement in our minds that we think statement in our minds that we think is trueis true

Sources ofSources of BeliefBelief   

PerceptionPerception: ": "I believe that I see a large dog I believe that I see a large dog chasing mechasing me." ."

MemoryMemory: ": "I believe that a large dog chased me I believe that a large dog chased me yesterdayyesterday." ."

TestimonyTestimony: ": "I believe that this dog does notI believe that this dog does not usuallyusually bitebite." (." (Because the owners told meBecause the owners told me. .

IntrospectionIntrospection: ": "I believe that I am afraid of this I believe that I am afraid of this large dog that is chasing melarge dog that is chasing me." ."

ReasonReason: ": "I believe that either this large dog will I believe that either this large dog will bite me or it will notbite me or it will not." ."

  

Why DoesWhy Does KnowledgeKnowledge RequireRequire TruthTruth? ?   

The answer here is simply that is The answer here is simply that is what we mean bywhat we mean by " "knowledgeknowledge." ." We We may be 100% convinced that p is may be 100% convinced that p is true, and thus that we know ittrue, and thus that we know it. .

But if it turns out that p is false, then But if it turns out that p is false, then we never did know it, we only we never did know it, we only thought we didthought we did

Why DoesWhy Does KnowledgeKnowledge Require Require JustificationJustification

  

        Any oldAny old beliefbelief we holdwe hold couldcould be be true just by accidenttrue just by accident. . ItIt couldcould be a be a lucky guesslucky guess. . And beliefs like that And beliefs like that don’t count asdon’t count as knowledgeknowledge..

Why DoesWhy Does KnowledgeKnowledge Require Require JustificationJustification??  

Consider some analogiesConsider some analogies: : A pool or basketball shot made by an A pool or basketball shot made by an

unskilled playerunskilled player. . Scoring a bullsScoring a bulls--eye on the firing eye on the firing

range when the gun goes off by range when the gun goes off by accidentaccident. .

  

When these things happen, you don’t When these things happen, you don’t give the people credit for having give the people credit for having done something worthy or valuabledone something worthy or valuable. . Same goes when someone makes a Same goes when someone makes a lucky guesslucky guess.  .  

When these things happen, you don’t When these things happen, you don’t give the people credit for having give the people credit for having done something worthy or valuabledone something worthy or valuable. . Same goes when someone makes a Same goes when someone makes a lucky guesslucky guess.  .  

The Issue of Reason and The Issue of Reason and ExperienceExperience  

Analytic statementsAnalytic statements   

Synthetic statementSynthetic statement

priori knowledgepriori knowledge   

A posteriori knowledgeA posteriori knowledge

Analytic StatementsAnalytic Statements  

AnAn analytic statementanalytic statement has the following has the following propertiesproperties::

ItsIts truthtruth or falsity is determined solely by or falsity is determined solely by the meaning of itsthe meaning of its terms, and terms, and

  

even if it is true, it does not give us any even if it is true, it does not give us any real, factual information about the world. real, factual information about the world.

A PrioriA Priori KnowledgeKnowledge  

A Priori StatementA Priori Statement:: A statement that can be A statement that can be known independently of any particular experience known independently of any particular experience of the worldof the world. . It is discoverable by reason It is discoverable by reason ((and and languagelanguage) ) alonealone..

2+2 =42+2 =4 All pediatricians are doctorsAll pediatricians are doctors. .   

A PrioriA Priori KnowledgeKnowledge:: KnowledgeKnowledge of an a priori of an a priori statementstatement.  .  

    

Synthetic StatementsSynthetic Statements  

AA synthetic statementsynthetic statement has the following has the following propertiesproperties::

ItsIts truthtruth or falsity isor falsity is notnot determined determined solely by the meaning of its terms, andsolely by the meaning of its terms, and

  

itit doesdoes make a factual claim about the make a factual claim about the way the world isway the world is. .

    

Posteriori KnowledgePosteriori Knowledge((Empirical)Empirical)AA   

A Posteriori StatementA Posteriori Statement:: A statement that A statement that cannot be known without some experience of the cannot be known without some experience of the worldworld. . it is not discoverable by reason it is not discoverable by reason ((and and languagelanguage) ) alonealone..

Some swans have white feathersSome swans have white feathers. . Copper conducts electricity better than rubber Copper conducts electricity better than rubber

doesdoes. .   

A PosterioriA Posteriori KnowledgeKnowledge:: KnowledgeKnowledge of an a of an a posteriori statementposteriori statement. .

          

Three Epistemological QuestionsThree Epistemological Questions

Is it possible to haveIs it possible to have knowledgeknowledge at allat all??

Does reason provide us withDoes reason provide us with knowledgeknowledge of the world of the world independently of experienceindependently of experience??

Does ourDoes our knowledgeknowledge represent represent reality as it really isreality as it really is??