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The
first philosopher to define knowledge was Plato, who stated that
for us to say that we know something:
1.
It must be true.
2. We must actually believe it.
3. There must be sufficient evidence for it (it must be justified).
Therefore,
we may say that knowledge is 'true justified belief'.
Exercise
Using
the following table, think of things that fit these criteria in
different ways (true but not justified belief, untrue but justified,
etc.). I have given you one example to start you off.
|
Statement
|
True?
|
Justified?
|
Believed?
|
Explanation
|
| I
see a red car |
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
This
would be true if I saw the car in normal conditions and was
consciously aware of the fact (i.e. I believed it). |
| There
is life on a planet in the Sirius star system |
yes
|
no
|
yes
|
A
person may believe thsi and it may one day prove to be true.
However, if their justification is just a hunch or intuition,
they cannot be said to know it. |
| Jim
is on the phone |
no
|
yes
|
yes
|
Someone
may answer the phone and think that they hear someone's voice
(Jim) when in fact it is someone else (say, Fred). In this
case they have justification, they believe it - but it is
untrue, a mistake. |
| The
moon is made of cheese |
no
|
no
|
yes
|
I
may believe this as a child, or on an insane whim, but it
is not true or justified - therefore not knowledge. |
| UFOs
exist |
yes
|
yes
|
no
|
I
may see a UFO or flying saucer and therefore it may be true
and have justification. However, if I choose to doubt my experience,
I cannot know it (I do not believe it). The same would apply
if I had forgotten or repressed such an experience (knowledge
has to be conscious). |
| God
exists |
yes
|
no
|
no
|
This
may be true, but if there is no justification and I do not
consciously hold to this view, I do not know it. |
| There
is a blue chiar in the next room |
no
|
yes
|
no
|
There
may be justification of this - someone might tell me. However,
if I don't hear them, I cannot be said to belief it. Also,
if the statement further turns out to be false, the statement
is neither true nor believed (though possibly justified). |
| The
Sun is made of magarine |
no
|
no
|
no
|
Something
which is not true, has no justification and is not consciously
held by anyone cannot be called knowledge. |
|
Statement
|
True?
|
Justified?
|
Believed?
|
Explanation
|
| I
see a red car |
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
This
would be true if I saw the car in normal conditions and was
consciously aware of the fact (i.e. I believed it). |
Click
here
once you have finished to see my answers.
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