In this module we looked at 2 units; The problem of knowledge and The nature of knowledge.
How do we classify the knowledge we gain? There are two different types of Knowledge, Personal or 1st hand knowledge and Public or 2nd hand knowledge. Personal knowledge is gained through personal experience (using your 5 senses - sight, touch, hearing, taste and smell : e.g. you know that a nail is sharp and a carpet is soft because you can feel it!) therefore it is called 1st hand knowledge. Public knowledge is gained through another person (member of the public) - this could be a teacher, a parent, a sibling, a friend, anyone except yourself. It is called 2nd hand knowledge because it can be learned and told by a description.
What is Knowledge? It is a theory which is defined as "Justification + Truth + Belief = Knowledge".
Our justification could be any of these...
- Observation/ Sense Perception : Using your senses to observe objects and events.
- Logic/ Reasoning
- Authority : Information gained from reliable sources in agreement with each other.
- Memory : A direct experience
- Emotions : Intuition/ Instinct/ Self-awareness
- Revelation : Only applicable to metaphysical beliefs (referring to an idea, doctrine, or posited reality outside of human sense perception)
There are 3 types of Truth...
- A correspondent truth : Something which you can check to be true or false - "I can check!"
- A coherent truth : Something which is consistent with other established truths, therefore being dependent upon them. - "It fits with the rest!"
- A pragmatic truth : Something which is useful or worthwhile for yourself. A personal experience/opinion - "It works for me!"
And finally, Belief, this depends on your mind's attitude and is the basic requirement for knowledge.
We also covered the "Ways of Knowing" in class. These include Perception, Language, Reason and Emotions. Each of these play a significant role in the way we observe things in our world. They are the conveyors and sources of knowledge.
The world we live in is our reality, but it's not reality itself. Others see things differently and their reality is something entirely different.
How do we classify the knowledge we gain? There are two different types of Knowledge, Personal or 1st hand knowledge and Public or 2nd hand knowledge. Personal knowledge is gained through personal experience (using your 5 senses - sight, touch, hearing, taste and smell : e.g. you know that a nail is sharp and a carpet is soft because you can feel it!) therefore it is called 1st hand knowledge. Public knowledge is gained through another person (member of the public) - this could be a teacher, a parent, a sibling, a friend, anyone except yourself. It is called 2nd hand knowledge because it can be learned and told by a description.
What is Knowledge? It is a theory which is defined as "Justification + Truth + Belief = Knowledge".
Our justification could be any of these...
- Observation/ Sense Perception : Using your senses to observe objects and events.
- Logic/ Reasoning
- Authority : Information gained from reliable sources in agreement with each other.
- Memory : A direct experience
- Emotions : Intuition/ Instinct/ Self-awareness
- Revelation : Only applicable to metaphysical beliefs (referring to an idea, doctrine, or posited reality outside of human sense perception)
There are 3 types of Truth...
- A correspondent truth : Something which you can check to be true or false - "I can check!"
- A coherent truth : Something which is consistent with other established truths, therefore being dependent upon them. - "It fits with the rest!"
- A pragmatic truth : Something which is useful or worthwhile for yourself. A personal experience/opinion - "It works for me!"
And finally, Belief, this depends on your mind's attitude and is the basic requirement for knowledge.
We also covered the "Ways of Knowing" in class. These include Perception, Language, Reason and Emotions. Each of these play a significant role in the way we observe things in our world. They are the conveyors and sources of knowledge.
The world we live in is our reality, but it's not reality itself. Others see things differently and their reality is something entirely different.
