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Epistemology Fundamentals
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Empiricism
The philosophical view that knowledge comes primarily from sensory experience. This view is significant because it emphasizes the role of observation and perception in forming our understanding of the world, in contrast to rationalism.
Foundationalism
A theory about the structure of justification or knowledge, which holds that certain beliefs are justified by themselves and form the foundation for justifying other beliefs. This is significant for providing a potential solution to the problem of infinite regress in justifications.
A Priori Knowledge
Knowledge gained independently of or prior to sensory experience. This is significant because it suggests the possibility of concepts or knowledge that are universal and necessary, as opposed to being contingent on experience (a posteriori knowledge).
Coherentism
An alternative to foundationalism which holds that beliefs are justified by their coherence with every other belief within a system, rather than being founded upon basic, self-justifying beliefs. Significant for providing a holistic approach to knowledge and justification.
Evidentialism
The epistemological view that the justification of a belief is solely a matter of the evidence available for it. It is significant because it represents a strict internalist perspective that ties belief directly to evidence, regardless of the practical or psychological aspects of belief.
Testimony
A source of knowledge or justification that comes from accepting the statements or accounts of others. It is significant in that it acknowledges the social dimension of knowledge and how inter-personal trust is a foundation for much of what we know.
Skepticism
The philosophical view that we know much less than we think we do or even nothing at all. Significant for challenging the possibility of certainty in knowledge and for pushing the boundaries of epistemological inquiry.
Gettier Problem
A challenge to the Justified True Belief model of knowledge, presenting scenarios where one might have justified true belief without actually knowing. This is significant for showing potential flaws in the traditional understanding of knowledge and prompting further epistemological inquiry.
Coherence Theory of Truth
A theory of truth which holds that the truth of a proposition is determined by its coherence with a set of beliefs or propositions. It is significant in that it provides an alternative to correspondence theories, focusing on the relational properties of beliefs.
Correspondence Theory of Truth
A theory that posits that the truth or falsity of a statement is determined by how it corresponds to the world and whether it accurately describes reality. This is significant for presenting a traditional realist conception of truth.
Pragmatic Theory of Truth
A theory that links the truth of a statement to its practical effects, utility, and applicability. The significance lies in its focus on the practical outcomes of beliefs and how true beliefs are those that prove reliable in action or inquiry.
Justified True Belief
A traditional model in epistemology that defines knowledge as a belief that is both true and justified. This notion is significant because it has been central to philosophical discussions of what qualifies as knowledge, especially before being challenged by the Gettier problems.
Contextualism
The view that the truth-conditions of knowledge claims can vary depending on the context in which they are made, including factors such as speaker intentions and presuppositions. It is significant for addressing skepticism by showing that knowledge standards can adjust with context.
Reliabilism
A form of externalism which suggests that beliefs are justified if they are produced by processes that typically yield true beliefs. This is significant for its approach to the justification of beliefs without requiring awareness of the justification.
Naturalized Epistemology
A movement that seeks to study knowledge using the methods of the natural sciences. Significant for its approach to epistemological questions through empirical investigation and for challenging the traditional philosophical methodology.
Rationalism
The philosophical view that reason is the chief source of knowledge rather than sensory experience. This is significant because it prioritizes intellectual and deductive reasoning and is often contrasted with empiricism.
Internalism
A position in the debate about the nature of justification which holds that the justifier of a belief must be accessible to the believer's consciousness. This view is significant because it is concerned with the introspective access to the grounds for one's beliefs.
Externalism
In epistemology, a theory that argues the justifiers of a belief may include external factors beyond the believer's consciousness. This is significant for offering an alternative to internalism and for addressing issues like the Gettier problem.
A Posteriori Knowledge
Knowledge that depends on and can only be acquired through sensory experience. Significant because it suggests that our understanding is shaped by the empirical world, and that certain knowledge claims cannot be validated without experiential evidence.
Infinitism
The view in epistemology that justification consists of an infinite series of reasons. Significant for providing an unconventional solution to the regress problem in theories of justification by proposing an endless chain of supporting reasons.
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