Discover published sets by community

Testimonial knowledge is knowledge acquired through the testimony of others. Rather than firsthand experience or empirical evidence, it relies upon the credibility of the person providing the information. It is an essential source of knowledge in society since much of what we know comes from what others tell us.

The Gettier Problem is a challenge to the definition of knowledge as 'justified true belief'. Edmund Gettier presented cases where individuals had justified true beliefs, yet these did not seem to constitute knowledge due to the presence of luck or error in the belief's formation, thus questioning whether justification, truth, and belief are sufficient for knowledge.

Rationalism is the epistemological view that regards reason as the chief source and test of knowledge. It posits that more knowledge is gained through intellectual and deductive reasoning than through sensory experiences. Rationalists often believe in innate ideas.

Internalism asserts that all the factors needed for the justification of a belief must be accessible to the cognitive agent's consciousness. It emphasizes that a person must be able to reflect on these justifying factors for a belief to be validated as knowledge.

Virtue epistemology is an approach that links the concept of knowledge acquisition to intellectual virtues - character traits that contribute to the discovery of truth. Such virtues might include open-mindedness, intellectual courage, and intellectual humility. It emphasizes the importance of the knower's character in acquiring knowledge.

Contextualism is the theory that the truth-conditions of knowledge claims can vary depending on the context in which they are made or assessed. It posits that the standards for 'knowing' something can shift based on the situation and the intentions of the speaker.

Empiricism is the theory that all knowledge is derived from sense-experience. It emphasizes the role of experience and evidence, especially sensory perception, in the formation of ideas, while discounting the notion of innate ideas. In empiricism, knowledge comes through our senses and interpretation of sensory information.

Externalism in epistemology suggests that factors outside the cognitive agent can be relevant to the justification of a belief. Externalism opposes internalism by maintaining that it is possible to know without having cognitive access to the justifying factors.

Foundationalism is a theory in epistemology that asserts that knowledge and justification are structured in a hierarchical manner, with the most basic beliefs providing the foundation for higher-level beliefs. These foundational beliefs are self-justified and evident, requiring no further justification to be known.

Fallibilism is the philosophical acknowledgment that human beings could be wrong about their beliefs, expectations, or their understanding of the world. This perspective maintains that because nothing can be known with absolute certainty, all claims to knowledge could potentially be mistaken.

A priori knowledge is knowledge that is known independently of experience. It is conceptual and deductive, as opposed to a posteriori knowledge, which is empirical and gained from experience. Examples include mathematical truths and logical inferences.

Reliabilism is the theory that a belief is justified if it is produced by a cognitive process that reliably leads to truth. According to reliabilists, the central question in epistemology is whether a belief-forming process is reliable rather than whether evidence or reasons are internally accessible.

Evidentialism is the theory in epistemology that states that whether a belief is justified depends solely on the quality of evidence the belief is based on. It posits that beliefs are justified when supported by adequate evidence and are otherwise unjustified.

Constructivism holds that knowledge is not passively absorbed, but actively constructed by the mind. It suggests that individuals form new knowledge from their experiences. Constructivism implies that everyone's knowledge is subjective and built up through individual experiences and interactions with the world.

Infinitism is the position that knowledge or justification requires an infinite chain of reasons or evidence. It rejects the idea that there can be foundational beliefs that don't require further justification and suggests that any given reason can be challenged with a request for further explanation.

Skepticism is the philosophical attitude of doubting knowledge claims set forth in various areas. A skeptic requires high levels of evidence before accepting any claim as true. Skeptics question the adequacy of grounds for knowledge (e.g., perception, reason, memory) and maintain that certainty is never justified.

A posteriori knowledge is knowledge that is justified by appeal to experience. This includes any knowledge that is empirical and can only be acquired through sensory experiences. It is contrasted with a priori knowledge, which is non-empirical and known through reason alone.