Epistemology - A priori versus a posteriori knowledge

Western philosophers for centuries have distinguished between two kinds of knowledge: a priori and a posteriori knowledge. A priori knowledge is knowledge gained or justified by reason alone, without the direct or indirect influence of any particular experience (here, experience usually means observation of the world through sense perception. See Rationalism, below, for clarification.) A posteriori knowledge is any other sort of knowledge; that is, knowledge the attainment or justification of which requires referenc ...

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Epistemology, Epistemology - Defining knowledge, Epistemology - Justified true belief, Epistemology - Gettier cases and contemporary definitions of knowledge, Epistemology - Contemporary approaches, Epistemology - Defining 'belief' in Epistemology, Epistemology - Distinguishing knowing that from knowing how, Epistemology - A priori versus a posteriori knowledge, Epistemology - Justification, Epistemology - Irrationalism, Epistemology - Rationality, Epistemology - Synthetic and analytic statements, Epistemology - Epistemological theories, Epistemology - Empiricism, Epistemology - Idealism, Epistemology - Phenomenalism, Epistemology - Pragmatism, Epistemology - Rationalism, Epistemology - Representationalism, Epistemology - Relativism, Epistemology - Skepticism

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Epistemology, from the Greek words episteme (knowledge) and logos (word/speech) is the branch of philosophy that deals with the nature, origin and scope of knowledge. Historically, it has been one of the most investigated and most debated of all philosophical subjects. Much of this debate has focused on analysing the nature and variety of knowledge and how it relates to similar notions such as truth and belief. Much of this discuss ...

Including:

• Epistemology - Definition of knowledge
• Epistemology - Justified true belief
• Epistemology - The problem of defining knowledge
• Epistemology - A priori versus a posteriori knowledge
• Epistemology - Knowledge and belief
• Epistemology - Distinguishing knowing that from knowing how
• Epistemology - Justification
• Epistemology - Irrationalism
• Epistemology - Rationality
• Epistemology - Synthetic and analytic statements
• Epistemology - Epistemological theories
• Epistemology - Empiricism
• Epistemology - Idealism
• Epistemology - Phenomenalism
• Epistemology - Pragmatism
• Epistemology - Rationalism
• Epistemology - Representationalism
• Epistemology - Relativism
• Epistemology - Skepticism
• Epistemology - Contemporary approaches
• Epistemology - Gettier

Read more here: » Epistemology: Encyclopedia - Epistemology

Epistemology - Justified true belief. In Plato's dialogue the Theaetetus, Socrates considers a number of definitions of knowledge. One of the prominent candidates is justified true belief. We know that, for something to count as knowledge, it must be true, and be believed to be true (see section on defining belief in Epistemology, below). Socrates argues that this is insufficient; in addition one must have a ...

See also:

Epistemology, Epistemology - Defining knowledge, Epistemology - Justified true belief, Epistemology - Gettier cases and contemporary definitions of knowledge, Epistemology - Contemporary approaches, Epistemology - Defining 'belief' in Epistemology, Epistemology - Distinguishing knowing that from knowing how, Epistemology - A priori versus a posteriori knowledge, Epistemology - Justification, Epistemology - Irrationalism, Epistemology - Rationality, Epistemology - Synthetic and analytic statements, Epistemology - Epistemological theories, Epistemology - Empiricism, Epistemology - Idealism, Epistemology - Phenomenalism, Epistemology - Pragmatism, Epistemology - Rationalism, Epistemology - Representationalism, Epistemology - Relativism, Epistemology - Skepticism

Read more here: » Epistemology: Encyclopedia II - Epistemology - Defining knowledge

Epistemology - Justified true belief. In Plato's dialogue the Theaetetus, Socrates considers a number of definitions of knowledge. One of the prominent candidates is justified true belief. We know that, for something to count as knowledge, it must be true, and be believed to be true. Socrates argues that this is insufficient; in addition one must have a reason or justification for that belief. One implication of this definition is that one cannot be said to "know" something just ...

See also:

Epistemology, Epistemology - Definition of knowledge, Epistemology - Justified true belief, Epistemology - The problem of defining knowledge, Epistemology - A priori versus a posteriori knowledge, Epistemology - Knowledge and belief, Epistemology - Distinguishing knowing that from knowing how, Epistemology - Justification, Epistemology - Irrationalism, Epistemology - Rationality, Epistemology - Synthetic and analytic statements, Epistemology - Epistemological theories, Epistemology - Empiricism, Epistemology - Idealism, Epistemology - Phenomenalism, Epistemology - Pragmatism, Epistemology - Rationalism, Epistemology - Representationalism, Epistemology - Relativism, Epistemology - Skepticism, Epistemology - Contemporary approaches, Epistemology - Gettier

Read more here: » Epistemology: Encyclopedia II - Epistemology - Definition of knowledge

It is common for epistemological theories to avoid skepticism by adopting a foundationalist approach. To do this, they argue that certain types of statements have a special epistemological status — that of not needing to be justified. So it is possible to classify epistemological theories according to the type of statement that each argues has this special status. Epistemology - Empiricism. Empiricists claim knowledge is a product of human experience. Statements of observations take pride of place in emp ...

See also:

Epistemology, Epistemology - Defining knowledge, Epistemology - Justified true belief, Epistemology - Gettier cases and contemporary definitions of knowledge, Epistemology - Contemporary approaches, Epistemology - Defining 'belief' in Epistemology, Epistemology - Distinguishing knowing that from knowing how, Epistemology - A priori versus a posteriori knowledge, Epistemology - Justification, Epistemology - Irrationalism, Epistemology - Rationality, Epistemology - Synthetic and analytic statements, Epistemology - Epistemological theories, Epistemology - Empiricism, Epistemology - Idealism, Epistemology - Phenomenalism, Epistemology - Pragmatism, Epistemology - Rationalism, Epistemology - Representationalism, Epistemology - Relativism, Epistemology - Skepticism

Read more here: » Epistemology: Encyclopedia II - Epistemology - Epistemological theories

Much of epistemology has been concerned with seeking ways to justify beliefs. Epistemology - Irrationalism. Some approaches to justifying beliefs are not rational — that is, they reject the notion that justification must obey logic or reason. Nihilism started out as a materialistic political philosophy, but is sometimes redefined as the apparently absurd doctrine that there can be no justification for any claim — absurd because the doctrine imp ...

See also:

Epistemology, Epistemology - Defining knowledge, Epistemology - Justified true belief, Epistemology - Gettier cases and contemporary definitions of knowledge, Epistemology - Contemporary approaches, Epistemology - Defining 'belief' in Epistemology, Epistemology - Distinguishing knowing that from knowing how, Epistemology - A priori versus a posteriori knowledge, Epistemology - Justification, Epistemology - Irrationalism, Epistemology - Rationality, Epistemology - Synthetic and analytic statements, Epistemology - Epistemological theories, Epistemology - Empiricism, Epistemology - Idealism, Epistemology - Phenomenalism, Epistemology - Pragmatism, Epistemology - Rationalism, Epistemology - Representationalism, Epistemology - Relativism, Epistemology - Skepticism

Read more here: » Epistemology: Encyclopedia II - Epistemology - Justification

Much contemporary work in epistemology depends on the two categories: foundationalism and coherentism. Recently, Susan Haack has attempted to fuse these two approaches into her doctrine of Foundherentism, which accrues degrees of relative confidence to beliefs by mediating between the two approaches. She covers this in her book Evidence and Inquiry: Towards Reconstruction in Epistemology. Epistemology - Gettier. Main articles: E ...

See also:

Epistemology, Epistemology - Definition of knowledge, Epistemology - Justified true belief, Epistemology - The problem of defining knowledge, Epistemology - A priori versus a posteriori knowledge, Epistemology - Knowledge and belief, Epistemology - Distinguishing knowing that from knowing how, Epistemology - Justification, Epistemology - Irrationalism, Epistemology - Rationality, Epistemology - Synthetic and analytic statements, Epistemology - Epistemological theories, Epistemology - Empiricism, Epistemology - Idealism, Epistemology - Phenomenalism, Epistemology - Pragmatism, Epistemology - Rationalism, Epistemology - Representationalism, Epistemology - Relativism, Epistemology - Skepticism, Epistemology - Contemporary approaches, Epistemology - Gettier

Read more here: » Epistemology: Encyclopedia II - Epistemology - Contemporary approaches

It is common for epistemological theories to avoid skepticism by adopting a foundationalist approach. To do this, they argue that certain types of statements have a special epistemological status — that of not needing to be justified. So it is possible to classify epistemological theories according to the type of statement that each argues has this special status. Epistemology - Empiricism. Empiricists claim knowledge is a product of human experience. Statements of observations take pride of place in emp ...

See also:

Epistemology, Epistemology - Definition of knowledge, Epistemology - Justified true belief, Epistemology - The problem of defining knowledge, Epistemology - A priori versus a posteriori knowledge, Epistemology - Knowledge and belief, Epistemology - Distinguishing knowing that from knowing how, Epistemology - Justification, Epistemology - Irrationalism, Epistemology - Rationality, Epistemology - Synthetic and analytic statements, Epistemology - Epistemological theories, Epistemology - Empiricism, Epistemology - Idealism, Epistemology - Phenomenalism, Epistemology - Pragmatism, Epistemology - Rationalism, Epistemology - Representationalism, Epistemology - Relativism, Epistemology - Skepticism, Epistemology - Contemporary approaches, Epistemology - Gettier

Read more here: » Epistemology: Encyclopedia II - Epistemology - Epistemological theories

Much of epistemology has been concerned with seeking ways to justify beliefs. Epistemology - Irrationalism. Some approaches to justifying beliefs are not rational — that is, they reject the notion that justification must obey logic or reason. Nihilism started out as a materialistic political philosophy, but is sometimes redefined as the apparently absurd doctrine that there can be no justification for any claim — absurd because the doctrine imp ...

See also:

Epistemology, Epistemology - Definition of knowledge, Epistemology - Justified true belief, Epistemology - The problem of defining knowledge, Epistemology - A priori versus a posteriori knowledge, Epistemology - Knowledge and belief, Epistemology - Distinguishing knowing that from knowing how, Epistemology - Justification, Epistemology - Irrationalism, Epistemology - Rationality, Epistemology - Synthetic and analytic statements, Epistemology - Epistemological theories, Epistemology - Empiricism, Epistemology - Idealism, Epistemology - Phenomenalism, Epistemology - Pragmatism, Epistemology - Rationalism, Epistemology - Representationalism, Epistemology - Relativism, Epistemology - Skepticism, Epistemology - Contemporary approaches, Epistemology - Gettier

Read more here: » Epistemology: Encyclopedia II - Epistemology - Justification