1. What is knowledge?
Day the Universe Changed: Changing Knowledge, Changing Reality
The New Oxford American Dictionary defines "knowledge" as "facts, information, and skills acquired by a person through experience or education" or "the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject"(1). The video we watched in class simply states that knowledge is the facts that people think are true (2). Philosophers say that when a person meets three conditions, they can say they "know" something. These three conditions are: a) they believe the statement to be true; b) they are justified in believing the fact to be true; c) and the statement is in fact true (3). Because of these three terms, the definition is often called the "tripartite", or three-part, definition. There are two types of knowledge: belief and truth. "Beliefs" are just what one thinks is true; "truth" is what is actually true (3). For example, in the video we watched in class, the villagers "knew" that the woman was possessed by the Devil and should therefore be burned at the stake. We now know that that was not in fact true, so the type of knowledge the villagers had was belief. Another example is the statement "the Houston Texans football team has never won the Super Bowl". We know this to be true, and it is also actually true. Therefore, the type of knowledge this shows is truth.
Izzy Andrews
Sources:
1: New Oxford American Dictionary
2: The Day the Universe Changed: Changing Knowledge Changing Reality (video)
3: http://www.philosophynews.com/post/2011/09/22/What-is-Knowledge.aspx
For further reading:
1: http://www.philosophynews.com/post/2011/09/22/What-is-Knowledge.aspx (is also Source 3)
