Course:Phil150/epistemology

The study of how we know things, or whether we possess knowledge of certain things at all.

Examples:

We can't know whether other people have minds.

We know that other people have minds by inferring that they do.

Epistemology: Specifically, the study of what we know, what true knowledge is and what what it is founded on and what the differences are between knowledge, belief and opinion. Requires one to find nature of knowledge and extent of human knowledge. Epistemological questions: What are the necessary and sufficient conditions for knowledge and justified belief? What are its sources? What is its structure and what are it's limits? These can be explored through the study of epistemology. 3 main examples/conditions: truth, belief, justification Example: Without epistemology there would be no reason to taking tests or doing classwork, because there would be no difference between truth and error. Need epistemology to accept reality and live in search of truth.