Chapter 5 :Epistemology

OVERVIEW

How do we know what we claim to know?     How do we find out what we know?  How do we judge claims to know? These are questions covered in this chapter.  They are in the field of Philosophy known as epistemology.

The ISSUES for epistemology are all in one way or another related to knowledge:: 

The sections of this chapter  will cover the following:

Theories of Knowledge

Theories of Truth

1.  CORRESPONDENCE THEORY               l

2.  COHERENCE THEORY        

3.  PRAGMATIC THEORY  

4.  SCIENTIFIC METHOD and TRUTH

The following sections will look into these matters and attempt to answer some of these questions.

Before we look into the various theories about how we know what we do know and how to determine if claims are true or not it would be helpful to make a number of important points or distinctions about language and how we use it. 

There are a variety of forms of expressions or sentences in any language.  Not all sentences are functioning for the speaker in the same way.  Here are four of the different uses for language:

Expressive (Thus use includes sentences that are neither true nor false.)

"Holy Cow!"  "ouch" "Hurray!"

They express the feelings of the speaker/writer.

Directive (Thus use includes sentences that are neither true nor false.)

1. "Please close the door."  

2. "What time is it?"

3. "How much does that cost?"

This use offers instructions or requests information.

Performative  (Thus use includes sentences that are neither true nor false.)

1. "I bid five dollars."

2. "I promise that I will do that."

3. "I now pronounce you ..."

This use actually performs some operation.  It presents no information and makes no requests.

Evaluative (Thus use includes sentences that are neither true nor false.)

1. "That is a good car."

2. "She is a good person."

3. Chocolate is the best flavor for ice cream.

This use expresses how people think about some object, activity, person, condition, or situation.  As the standard for making such evaluations is not such as to be derived from a source that is recognized as existing apart from humans and uninfluenced by culture there is no commonly agreed upon method for determining if such evaluations are true or not true.

Sentences expressing evaluations are not taken as making claims about what is known so much as making claims about how the evaluator thinks.

Cognitive (This use includes sentences that are either true or false.)

1.         There are three sides to a triangle.  The sum of their angles is 180 degrees.

2.         There is a computer in front of you right now.

3.         23 + 11= 34

4.         A bachelor is an unmarried male.

5.         If a is more than b, and b is more than c, then a is more than c.

It is the cognitive use of language that concerns us with the issue of knowledge.  It is the cognitive use that makes claims that should be capable of being determined to be either true or false.  Cognitive use of language expressing that which is claimed as knowledge exists in a variety of forms: logical, semantic, systemic and empirical. We will examine them in a subsequent section.  What they have in common is that claims are made that can be determined to be true or false in some manner or other.

For the remainder of this chapter it should be understood that it is the cognitive use of language that is of concern in so far as the issues of knowledge or truth.

For a look into What is knowledge?

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© Copyright Philip A. Pecorino 2000. All Rights reserved.  Web Surfer's Caveat: These are class notes, intended to comment on readings and amplify class discussion. They should be read as such. They are not intended for publication or general distribution.