Epistemology
Epistemology (from Greek ἐπιστήμη - epi-
steme-,
"knowledge,
science" + λόγος,
"logos") or theory of knowledge
is the
branch of philosophy concerned with the
nature and scope (limitations) of know-
ledge.[1] It addresses the questions:
• What is knowledge?
• How is knowledge acquired?
• What do people know?
• How do we know what we know?
• Why do we know what we know?
Much of the debate in this field has focused
on analyzing the nature of knowledge and
how it relates to similar notions such as
truth, belief, and justification. It also deals
with the means of production of knowledge,
as well as skepticism about different know-
ledge claims.
The term was introduced into English by
the Scottish philosopher James Frederick
Ferrier (1808–1864).[2]
Knowledge
Distinguishing knowing that
from knowing how
Is knowledge a subset of that which is both
true and believed? (See below)
In this article, and in epistemology in gener-
al, the kind of knowledge usually discussed is
propositional knowledge, also known as
"knowledge-that" as opposed to "knowledge-
how." For example: in mathematics, it is
known that 2 + 2 = 4, but there is also know-
ing how to add two numbers. Many (but not
all) philosophers therefore think there is an
important distinction between "knowing that"
and "knowing how", with epistemology
primarily interested in the former. This dis-
tinction is recognized linguistically in many
languages, though not in modern Standard
English (N.B. some languages related to Eng-
lish still do retain these verbs, as in Scots:
"wit" and "ken").[3]
In Personal Knowledge, Michael Polanyi
articulates a case for the epistemological rel-
evance of both forms of knowledge; using the
example of the act of balance involved in rid-
ing a bicycle, he suggests that the theoretical
knowledge of the physics involved in main-
taining a state of balance cannot substitute
for the practical knowledge of how to ride,
and that it is important to understand how
both are established and grounded.
In recent times, some epistemologist