Philosophy of Knowledge and Belief

Oct 10, 2024

Lecture Notes: Introduction to Philosophy and Knowledge

Overview

  • Lecture Topic: Exploration of concepts in philosophy regarding knowledge and belief.
  • Key Questions:
    • What does it mean to know something?
    • Is having knowledge the same as being correct?
    • Can belief be considered knowledge?

Key Terminologies

  • Assertion: A statement with a truth value (true, false, indeterminate).
  • Proposition: The underlying meaning of an assertion.
  • Propositional Attitude: A speaker's mental state towards the proposition (belief, disbelief).
  • Belief: Taking a propositional attitude that corresponds to reality.

Traditional Understanding of Knowledge

  • Knowledge Definition: Justified True Belief (JTB).
    • Belief: The assertion that corresponds to reality.
    • Truth: The proposition is true if it corresponds to reality.
    • Justification: Legitimate evidence supporting the belief.

Forms of Justification

  • Testimony: Information taken from others as evidence.
  • First-Person Observation: Sensory information leading to belief.

The Gettier Problem

  • Background: Introduced by philosopher Edmund Gettier in the 1960s.
  • Challenge: Demonstrated cases where individuals have justified true belief but lack knowledge.

Gettier Cases Examples

  1. Job Applicant Case:

    • Smith believes Jones will get the job and has 10 coins in his pocket.
    • Smith receives the job, and coincidentally has 10 coins.
    • Outcome: Justified true belief, but not true knowledge.

  2. Chisholm's Sheep Case:

    • Observes an object resembling a sheep, which is actually a dog.
    • A sheep exists but is obscured from view.
    • Outcome: Justified true belief, but not true knowledge.

Current Philosophical Debate

  • The debate about the definition of knowledge continues.
  • Philosophers propose new definitions and counter-examples.

Closing

  • Announcement: The episode is sponsored by Squarespace.
  • Encouragement to explore more philosophical content through PBS Digital Studios.

Reflection

  • The lecture explored various definitions and nuances of knowledge and belief.
  • Philosophers continue to debate and redefine what constitutes knowledge.