EPISTEMOLOGY (NDMU Undergraduate Students)

Introduction

Epistemology is the study of the nature and the extent of human knowledge. Etymologically, the word originated from the Greek word 'episteme' meaning 'knowledge.' Discourse on epistemology could be traced back during the time of Plato. Western philosophers, from then on, have engaged themselves in epistemological questions and came out with different “theories of knowledge.”

There are different kinds of knowledge, but the main focus of epistemology is on facts, knowledge of facts. And factual knowledge occurs when a belief is justified. Thus, the central question for the epistemologists is “what makes mere belief into knowledge?” There are diverse answers to this epistemological question, and some are even in conflict with each other.

The scope of our conversation covers the questions on what knowledge is. To what extent can we claim any knowledge? What are the conditions that would constitute this claim? If there is knowledge at all, what is its nature? How and why? What limits human knowledge? These are basic questions that we will attempt to answer in the progress of our discourse.

The question on the nature of knowledge may be broad, but the answer to such question is important. Historically, most philosophers have been investigating it in order to determine whether we as humans are in possession of it. Is knowledge applicable to non-human animals, or machines (computers)? To answer such question will certainly imply ones understanding of the nature of human knowledge itself. For instance, if to know implies a certain capacity for understanding, then understanding is an essential component of knowledge.

Western epistemologists have made a distinction between knowledge and mere opinion. Traditionally, philosophers have held that strength of evidence constitutes the difference between knowledge and true opinion. And so the focus of most of Western epistemology has been on the study of evidence. What constitutes strong evidence? The answer to this question is one of the main concerns of this conversation.

History of philosophy provides us different questions and answers regarding human knowledge. We will elaborate these as we unfold the historical development of the different theories of knowledge. Perhaps it is time to look at this and other basic problems of philosophy from a fresh perspective.