Understanding Epistemology - 2009 Words

Understanding Epistemology Introduction Epistemology is the study of knowledge and how we understand and come to know things. Its focus has evolved over the course of time, as cultures have changed and societal perspectives have shifted. For instance, in classical times, Plato focused on the relationship between philosophy and socio-political change, using the character of Socrates in his Dialogues to promote a vision of truth and servitude. Throughout the middle ages in Europe, philosophers and theologians focused on the connection between faith and reason, with Aquinas penning the ultimate field guide to this relationship in the Summa. In modern times, faith-based knowledge has been supplanted by empiricism and skepticism, with philosophers attempting to understand how they know and even whether they can know reality/truth, which is where much of epistemology focuses today. This paper will answer several questions concerning problems faced by epistemologists today. What can humans know for certain and how can they justify that they actually know what they think they know? Plato (Jowett, trans., 1952) contends that humans know by means of the intellect, as he shows in both Meno and Phaedo, stating that all inquiry and all learning is but recollection (p. 81). Implicit in the assertion is that we know by intuition. Plato calls it the act of recollecting knowledge that was imprinted on the soul. In Phaedo, Socrates asserts that truth is something written on theShow MoreRelatedThe Views On The Senses, But At The Same Time1368 Words   |  6 Pagesand ontological views have been discussed by French philosopher Rene Descartes and Greek philosopher, Socrates. The first view, where Socrates proposes that in understanding knowledge, the senses should not be of great importance to humanity. He instead believes that understanding the world of ideas is the theory that in terms of understanding the world around us is favorable, especially when it comes to learning. He sees it as considerably unfavorable to only rely on received knowledge and empiricismRead MoreIn troducing Plato s Theaetetus : A Dialogue About The Nature And / Or Limits Of Human Knowledge969 Words   |  4 Pagesknowledge (episteme). Episteme can be translated in many ways, such as knowledge-how, knowledge by acquaintance, knowledge that something is the case, etc. Plato is primarily interested in establishing that something exists, e.g. justice, and then understanding what that something is and why it is what it is. All of these claimants can be utilized for this purpose. 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Before we get into knowledge and beliefs, we must define what epistemology is and why epistemology is important. What is epistemology? The word itself derives from two Greek words: â€Å"Episteme† meaning knowledge and understanding and â€Å"Logia† meaning science of study. In philosophy, epistemology is the studyRead MorePhil 201 Study Guide Lesson 10 Essay864 Words   |  4 Pagesthis lesson, we begin a new unit on epistemology, which is the philosophical study of knowledge claims. In this first lesson on epistemology, we begin by examining the question â€Å"What do we mean when we say we know something?† What exactly is knowledge? We will begin with a presentation that introduces the traditional definition of knowledge. Wood then discusses some of the basic issues raised in the study of epistemology and then presents an approach to epistemology that focuses on obtaining the intellectualRead MoreUsing The Method Ipa Is It Favors Open Ended Questions With The Individual s Experiences1484 Words   |  6 Pagesidentity and the individual’s sense of self as it fav ors in-depth analysis into important life experiences (Scotland, 2012; Smith Eatough, 2012). Under this approach the researcher needs to be aware of there own pre-understanding of the topic and how this personal understanding may influences the issues being researched (Borell, Nygard, Asaba, Gustavsson Hemmingsson, 2012). IPA studies use a small sample size, to ensure each individual’s experiences are analyzed in detail. The researcher needsRead MoreEssay on My Philosophy of Education1206 Words   |  5 Pagesreflect on how to make classroom actions consistent with our beliefs related to learning. However, before we list our â€Å"beliefs† we need to delve deeper into what makes up our philosophy. There are four major components to philosophy – Metaphysics, Epistemology, Axiology, and Logic (Gutek, 2009). In order to be able to understand philosophy we need to be able to understand its components. Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy that deals with the nature of reality (Gutek, 2009). In metaphysics, one