1

Possible Duplicate:
Is Knowledge Fallible?

My question is about the definition of knowledge as used by philosophers in the area of epistemology.

I am wondering if knowledge implies certainty. In other words, if you are not certain of something, can you know that thing, or must you be certain in order to know it?

If knowledge does not imply certainty, what term would be used to refer to knowing something for certain?

Community
  • 1
Jas 3.1
  • 577
  • 2
  • 11
  • Hardly a new question. Did you check other questions with the epistemology tag, like [What is the difference between knowledge and belief?](http://philosophy.stackexchange.com/questions/1295/what-is-the-difference-between-knowledge-and-belief), [Is Knowledge Fallible?](http://philosophy.stackexchange.com/questions/3566/is-knowledge-fallible) or basic introductions to epistemology? Because this question is answered everywhere. – iphigenie Sep 25 '12 at 19:04
  • @iphigenie That wasn't really helpful... I'm not asking about belief, JTB is contested (indicating the term 'knowledge' is not defined by it), and saying "go read a book" doesn't seem to be in line with the intentions of this site. – Jas 3.1 Sep 25 '12 at 19:22
  • What is in line with the intentions of this site is doing one's homework and sharing one's research. Your question lacks that. I didn't mean to be rude. I meant that maybe you could tell us what you've read or what you know or read some basic introduction first. Always helpful: [The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy](http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/knowledge-analysis) – iphigenie Sep 25 '12 at 19:54
  • @iphigenie Again, not helpful. The link you provided does not define the term 'knowledge'; it merely discusses how it is obtained. This site is not primarily for sharing research, but for Q&A. If I knew the answer to my question I wouldn't need to ask it. Since you are so new to the SE site, I would suggest leaving criticisms of the format of questions to the mods. – Jas 3.1 Sep 25 '12 at 20:05
  • 2
    @iphigenie If the answer is so straightforward, why not post it? I'm eager to get an answer to this. – Jas 3.1 Sep 25 '12 at 20:15
  • Seems very close to the other linked question -- Could you indicate how this would be different? – Joseph Weissman Sep 25 '12 at 23:06
  • @JosephWeissman The other question (which was a bit convoluted) presupposes JTB, which I was informed is generally rejected in Philosophy. I am asking for a simple clarification on the term itself, with no relation to JTB or any other attempt at explaining *how* knowledge is obtained. I am simply asking for clarification on what Philosophers *mean* when they use the term. – Jas 3.1 Sep 25 '12 at 23:53
  • @Jas JTB *is* the classical definition of knowledge (from Plato); the key paper on modern "issues" with JTB is Gettier, referenced in the accepted answer to the linked question. If you still think there are additional distinct concerns to address, please consider revising the question to reflect them; I'd be happy to review – Joseph Weissman Sep 26 '12 at 00:03
  • @JosephWeissman Was Schiphol mistaken, then, when he said [here](http://philosophy.stackexchange.com/a/3282/2087) that "Almost nobody believes that knowledge is jtb"? – Jas 3.1 Sep 26 '12 at 00:05
  • @JosephWeissman In order for such a debate to have meaning, though (whether knowledge is JTB or not), it seems like the word "knowledge" must have some generally recognized definition amongst philosophers ... I am just curious if that definition includes certainty or not. – Jas 3.1 Sep 26 '12 at 00:08
  • I couldn't speak for nearly everyone, or @Schiphol for that matter; that said, it's certainly the my understanding that knowledge, for the ancients, was JTB, and that this definition seemed to hold up well for millennia, more or less until Gettier; and also that today it would be unlikely a thinker would assert JTB without caveats. At any rate, JTB is certainly the place to begin getting your arms around what philosophers intend by "knowledge". – Joseph Weissman Sep 26 '12 at 00:11
  • Please feel free to ping me in chat if you'd like to discuss further – Joseph Weissman Sep 26 '12 at 00:13
  • @JosephWeissman So the answer to my question is "no", when philosophers use the word "knowledge", they do not take that to imply certainty (since JTB does not imply certainty). Then the second part of my question is still in need of an answer - what term would philosophers use to refer to "knowing something for certain"? – Jas 3.1 Sep 26 '12 at 00:14

0 Answers0