PhilosophyLesson 1 of 4 in the course Epistemology

Epistemology: Knowledge, Justification, and Truth

5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 5 match pairs · 4 fill-in sentences · English

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Summary

This lesson introduces epistemology, the philosophical study of knowledge, and explains how epistemologists investigate questions about what we know and whether our beliefs are reliable.

The word epistemology comes from the Greek episteme, meaning knowledge, and logos, meaning explanation or study. Epistemology is therefore the study of knowledge. It asks what knowledge is, whether knowledge is possible, and what kinds of knowledge exist.

All flashcards

Justification
Reasons or support that make a belief rational or well-grounded.
Conceptual analysis
The practice of examining what a concept means and which features are essential to it.
Counterexample
A case that challenges a statement, definition, or argument by showing a possible flaw.
Russell's sense data
The raw sensory content of experience, which Russell distinguished from external objects inferred to cause it.
Normative epistemology
The evaluation of beliefs and belief-forming methods in light of standards for knowledge and justification.

Quiz questions

  1. In conceptual analysis, what is a necessary condition for a concept to apply?Answer: A feature that must be present for the concept to apply.
  2. How can empirical research help epistemologists assess a claim about how testimony is treated?Answer: It can provide evidence about whether the claimed pattern actually occurs.
  3. According to the correspondence theory, when is a statement true?Answer: When it corresponds to a fact or state of affairs in the world.
  4. What distinguishes procedural knowledge from propositional knowledge?Answer: Procedural knowledge is know-how; propositional knowledge is knowing that a claim is true.
  5. In Russell's account, what is a person directly acquainted with when feeling pain?Answer: The sensation of pain, rather than necessarily the external cause of it.

Based on Introduction to Philosophy by Nathan Smith (OpenStax), licensed CC BY 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.

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