THE PROBLEM KNOWLEDGE
What is knowledge?
In Theaetetus Plato set out the three conditions that must be fulfilled in order for one
to be justified in asserting that one knows something.
These conditions are each necessary but together sufficient for knowledge.
The Belief Condition
Belief is a psychological state of mind, that knowledge is therefore first a matter
of belief.
That is that to know something first points in the first instance to believing
something.
Belief refers to a conviction, that such and such is the case, it may or may not
be true in actual fact, but I am convinced
Thus belief is the first step in knowledge.
The Truth Condition
Refers to the actual truth of what one asserts
That is, knowing points to something that is in a way independent from me-the
truth of the matter.
When I say` I believe it is raining’, I may be convinced that it is raining, but as a
matter of fact, it is not
On the other hand when I say I know it is raining, I claim to know the truth, if
it is not raining I will be told I do not know.
Therefore to know something, is more than to believe-to know implies having
a belief that is actually true.
The Grounds or Evidence Condition
This refers to the reasons or grounds for knowing something
Thus if someone claims to know something, he/she must give evidence,
grounds reasons for his/her claims, he/she needs to justify that claim
Thus it is possible to believe that something is true and not be able to justify
that belief, in this case then he does not really know
These conditions may be illustrated as follows:
S knows P if:
a) S believes P
b) S’ belief in P is justified
c) P is true
Therefore, traditional definition of knowledge attributed to Plato which has persisted
to date is that knowledge is justified true belief.
The Problem of Commonsense Knowledge or View of the World
Philosophy and science are comparatively recent in man’s long struggle to understand
reality. But commonsense is as old as mankind.
What is common sense?
Common sense is a broad term for the fund or pool of opinions each member of a
group is expected to have.
How does it come about?
We are born into social groups that define our ways of acting, feeling and thinking
that shape our views about ourselves and our world.
As we grow up we acquire certain habits, feelings, thoughts, beliefs, and memories
that appear fairly reliable.
We form customs, and traditional ways of thinking and acting that we hardly question
or doubt –these tend to hold people in line.
These ways of acting and thinking are usually passed on to the next generation
through traditions, imitation or instructions
The emerging consciousness is then coupled with our sense experiences.
These ways of thinking and acting – common ways of looking at things are often
referred to as common sense.
Some Characteristics of Common Sense
(1) Common sense opinions tend to be habitual and imitative
- inherited largely from the past, rests on customs and traditions.
-Emphasize tested and approved ways if the group – hence idea of good
sense.
(2) Commonsense – often vague and ambiguous.
- Superficially grounded and may vary from individual to individual, group to
group, area to area.
- It is often mixture of fact and prejudice, wisdom and emotional bias.
- Includes notions that have formed without careful reflection and criticism.
(3) Commonsense is in considerable sense untested belief
- For example people who sweat on the nose have quick tempers.
- Are based on assumptions that are often unexplained that need to be
checked and criticized – they however appear self- evident to those who
hold them.
(4) Commonsense opinions are seldom accompanied by explanations of why
things are the way they are said to be.
- Where explanation exists they are often very general.
Critical Comments on Commonsense
We never leave commonsense beliefs wholly behind us no matter our level of
education
Commonsense serves as a useful check against ‘blind spots’ some people develop
through intensive specializations
Specialization can be narrow – commonsense is unspecialized belief – inclusive of all
areas of life – could be advantageous.
However, commonsense opinions can be;
Superficially grounded; some of them are based on ‘first looks’.
Formed without careful and critical reflection they are not based on any theory
or model of reasoning
Can lead people astray – cannot easily cope with new and unfamiliar situations
Hence commonsense needs constant and careful re-examination.
Insight as a Source (Appeal to Intuition)
Insight or intuition means coming into instant knowledge or understanding of a
situation or person without being able to provide a clear rational explanation or
account.
Intuition highly valued as a source of knowledge in eastern philosophy. However in
traditional Western thought intuition ranks fairly low.
For example followers of great religions have declared that their founders gained
some unique insight into some religious or moral truth eg.Gautama Buddha, Hebrew
Prophets, St. Paul etc.
Intuition if supported by evidence is acceptable source of knowledge.
However Intuition, relied upon alone as a source of knowledge can be very
problematic:
It is not based on any model or theory of reasoning be it deductive or inductive
reasoning
It tends to depend on the feelings of an individual
It cannot be subjected to intersubjective verification
It sometimes claims infallibility or certainty which is not verifiable
It goes astray easily and may lead to absurd claims for example cases of cult
leaders
No intuition is so secure that it can escape rational criticism Intuition must
therefore be controlled or checked by reason and senses and other sources of
knowledge.
