Epistemology: The Philosophy of Knowledge

Epistemology

• The main focus of epistemology is the study of knowledge and justified belief.

Core Areas of Debate

• The core areas of debate in contemporary epistemology include:
  • The nature of knowledge and justification
  • The sources of knowledge and justified belief
  • The structure of a body of knowledge or justified belief
• The nature of truth is NOT a core area of debate in contemporary epistemology.

Sources of Knowledge and Justified Belief

• Some potential sources of knowledge and justified belief according to epistemology include:
  • Sense experience
  • Reason
  • Memory
  • Testimony
  • Intuition

Structure of Knowledge and Justified Belief

• One of the core debates in epistemology is regarding the structure of a body of knowledge or justified belief, specifically:
  • Whether it is foundational (based on basic beliefs that are self-evident or known directly) or
  • Whether it is coherent (based on a network of interconnected beliefs that mutually support each other)

Questions in Epistemology

• Epistemology aims to answer questions such as:
  • What is knowledge and how is it acquired?
  • How can we be certain that our beliefs are true?
  • What are the sources of knowledge and justified belief?
  • How do we distinguish between knowledge and mere opinion?

Test your understanding of epistemology, the branch of philosophy that examines the nature, origin, and scope of knowledge. Explore debates surrounding the conditions required for a belief to be considered knowledge and other related issues.