Sunday, 31 January 2010
Sunday, 3 January 2010
What is knowledge?
Truth
Truth is what differentiates knowledge from belief. If you know something then what you claim to know must be true. Truth is traditionally understood to be independent of what anyone happens to believe is true, and that simply believing that something is true does not make it true.
Think of an example to justify this last statement.
Just because one believes something to be true, does not make it a fact or a certainty. It simply means that they believe it. It something said is not true, it does not make the person who believes it a liar; they aren't lying because they truly believe it. A schizophrenic person, for example, could have hallucinations and see things that they believe are actually there, if they tell this to someone, it does not mean that they are lying as they believe it to be true, although it may not be true.
Belief
If you know something, then it must not only be true, but you must also believe it to be true. If you have no conscious awareness of something then you cannot say that you know it.
As technology develops, do you think it will make sense to say that a computer knows things?
No. I believe that a computer may hold a lot of information but not know anything as it is not a living being and has no 'beliefs'.
Rather then seeing knowledge as completely separate from belief, try to see them as both being part of the same continuum:
Impossible Unlikely Possible Probable Certain
Belief Knowledge
Where on the belief/knowledge continuum would you put the following:
Christopher Columbus discovered America in 1492 - possible, most people believe it to be true, but I don't know that for a fact. It could be a conspiracy. It's not like I was there.
If A is bigger than B and B is bigger than C, then A is bigger than C - certain knowledge
Human beings are descended from apes - possible, it's debatable. I don't know enough about the matter to believe it or judge it.
Murder is wrong - probable belief
Aliens have visited earth at some time during history - unlikely
All metals expand when heated - certain knowledge. If a metal did not expand when heated, it would not be classified as a metal.
Human beings have an immortal soul - probable belief
It is possible to construct a square with the same area as a circle. - possible
Truth is what differentiates knowledge from belief. If you know something then what you claim to know must be true. Truth is traditionally understood to be independent of what anyone happens to believe is true, and that simply believing that something is true does not make it true.
Think of an example to justify this last statement.
Just because one believes something to be true, does not make it a fact or a certainty. It simply means that they believe it. It something said is not true, it does not make the person who believes it a liar; they aren't lying because they truly believe it. A schizophrenic person, for example, could have hallucinations and see things that they believe are actually there, if they tell this to someone, it does not mean that they are lying as they believe it to be true, although it may not be true.
Belief
If you know something, then it must not only be true, but you must also believe it to be true. If you have no conscious awareness of something then you cannot say that you know it.
As technology develops, do you think it will make sense to say that a computer knows things?
No. I believe that a computer may hold a lot of information but not know anything as it is not a living being and has no 'beliefs'.
Rather then seeing knowledge as completely separate from belief, try to see them as both being part of the same continuum:
Impossible Unlikely Possible Probable Certain
Belief Knowledge
Where on the belief/knowledge continuum would you put the following:
Christopher Columbus discovered America in 1492 - possible, most people believe it to be true, but I don't know that for a fact. It could be a conspiracy. It's not like I was there.
If A is bigger than B and B is bigger than C, then A is bigger than C - certain knowledge
Human beings are descended from apes - possible, it's debatable. I don't know enough about the matter to believe it or judge it.
Murder is wrong - probable belief
Aliens have visited earth at some time during history - unlikely
All metals expand when heated - certain knowledge. If a metal did not expand when heated, it would not be classified as a metal.
Human beings have an immortal soul - probable belief
It is possible to construct a square with the same area as a circle. - possible
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