Knowledge is faith with the conviction of truth based on reason or experience. In other words, to be convinced that something is true based on our feelings or considerations is what it means to know.
At least that is how the classic definition of the term “know” sounds, although there are other narrower connotations. For example, we can know, that is, identify, someone by name, appearance, etc.
What is to know?
Philosophically there are many diverse and more complex answers to this question. The branch of philosophy studying this topic is called epistemology, or the theory or study of knowledge as such. It also includes other areas of philosophical research, including (but not limited to) the philosophy of reason, language, and being (ontology, phenomenology, existentialism, etc.).
Knowledge problem
The study of knowledge is what philosophers have been doing since the inception of philosophical science. So what is “knowing” in the understanding of scientists? This is one of those eternal topics like the nature of matter in hard sciences: a question that has been studied since the time of Plato.
Discipline is known as epistemology, which comes from two Greek words: episteme, which means knowledge, and logos, which means a word or mind. The term “epistemology” literally means a discourse on knowledge. Epistemologists study what knowledge is, what makes it up and what its limits are, and why you need to know.
Do we know something?
To answer this question, you need to have an idea of what the term “know” means. As a rule, people do not think about what knowledge is before evaluating whether they have it or not. We simply declare that we know something - it is convenient. However, let's try to define the term “knowledge”. What are its main characteristics?
- Confidence - information is difficult, if not completely impossible, to deny.
- Evidence - knowledge must be based on something.
- Practicality - a statement should not only have a theoretical foundation, but really work in the real world.
- Broad agreement - most people must agree that the statement is true.
Although the criterion of "broad agreement" is rather controversial. The problem is that many of the things we know cannot be widely agreed upon. Suppose you experience pain in your hand. The pain is very strong and intense. You can tell your doctor that you know that you are in pain. However, unfortunately, only you can say that you know (and as an additional problem you seem to have no evidence): you just feel pain.
So what is knowledge?
Philosophers have tried to fit the answer to the question of what to know in one term for centuries. However, like most things in philosophy, the generally accepted definition of knowledge is controversial, and there are many people who disagree with it. But at least it serves as a starting point for the study of knowledge.
The definition includes three conditions, and philosophers say that when a person meets these three conditions, he can say that he knows something for real. Take into account the fact: Seattle Sailors never won the world series. By standard definitions, a person knows this fact if:
- man believes that affirmation is truth;
- in fact, this statement is true;
- The statement is substantiated and proved.
Thus, knowledge consists of three main components: faith, truth, and proof.