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Epistemology - What is Knowledge? JTB - Coggle Diagram
Epistemology - What is Knowledge? JTB
Types of Knowledge
Acquaintance Knowedge
E.g. Knowing a person by recognising them, or knowledge of a place because you've been there.
Knowledge in the form of direct experience -i.e. having knowledge of something.
Propositional Knowledge
Knowledge in the form of factual information -i.e. having knowledge that something is the cause.
For example, knowing that Philosophy means 'love or wisdom', or that Earth is spherical
Tripartite view of knowledge
S knows that p, if and only if, P is
true
, S
believes
P, S is
justifed
in believing P
Knowledge = Justified True Belief (JTB)
Gettier Problem
Hypothetical examples of lucky JTB's
Cannot accept luck in our criteria for knowledge, therefore, JTB does not entail knowledge.
Smith, Jones and the Job
Smith and Jones go for a job interview. Smith sees Jones with 10 coins in his pocket. Smith is told by boss that Jones will get the job. Smith concludes the man with 10 coins in his pocket will get the job. Instead of Jones getting the job, Smith gets it. By chance, it turns out that Smith also has 10 coins in his pocket. Smith's conclusion was correct
Brown in Barcelona
Smith sees Jones driving a Ford car. Smith then makes a random proposition: Jones owns a Ford or Brown in in Barcelona. Jones does not own a ford. Brown is in Barcelona (by chance).
Fake Barn Country
Barney is driving through fake barn country. In fake barn county, 99% of barns are fake. Whilst driving, Barney points to a barn and states 'that's a barn'. Turns out this was the only real barn in fake barn country.
Broken Clock
You see a clock and read the time '12 O'clock'. The clock is broken and has stopped without you knowing. It is, by chance, actually 12 O'clock. You have told the correct time.
Solutions to Gettier Problems
Infallibilism
Justification must be infallible meaning it cannot possibly be false.
JTB + Infallible
Criticism: Too strong - rules out too much knowledge.
No False Lemmas
JTB + NFL
Justification cannot include false premises - like we see in Smith and Jones case
Criticism: Doesn't solve all cases.
No essential false assumptions
JTB + NEFA
Justification cannot include false hidden assumptions - like we see in Broken Clock
Counter: Too strong.
Reliabilism
RTB - Reliable True Belief
Reliable cognitive processes that connect belief to truth (truth tracking)
Only true beliefs that are reliable count as knowledge.
Criticism: Criteria of 'reliable' is too vague
Virtue Epistemology
JTB + V
Justification should be based on epistemic / intellectual virtues
Sosa's AAA rating: Accuracy, Adroitness and Aptness
Criticism: Hard to determine whether belief was true because of intellectual virtues