Theory of Knowledge​ : UGC NET Philosophy Notes & Study Material

The Theory of Knowledge, or Epistemology, is that branch of philosophy exploring the nature, scope, and limits of human knowledge. Questions into the very foundations of the matter include: What is knowledge? How do we acquire knowledge? Can we ever attain absolute certainty about anything? Epistemology studies the aspects of the relationship between the knower and the known, hence probing such abstract ideas as belief, truth, justification, and perception. Since the beginning of human history, philosophers have been able to come up with different theories about how knowledge is formed, validated, and also its relationship with belief and truth.

Theory of Knowledge is a vital topic to be studied for the psychology related exam such as the UGC NET Philosophy.

In this article the readers will be able to know about the following:

• Theory of Knowledge- Introduction
• Theory of Knowledge- Explanation

Theory of Knowledge- Introduction

The Theory of Knowledge, or Epistemology, is a philosophy area that studies the nature, scope, and limits of human knowledge. It addresses fundamental questions such as how we obtain knowledge, what in fact justifies our beliefs, and how we can distinguish between knowledge and mere opinion.

Theory of Knowledge- Explanation

For example, the Theory of Knowledge or Epistemology examines questions about the nature, sources, and limits of knowledge. It asks at a very fundamental level how we can come to know things and what it means for beliefs to be justified. This discussion touches on perceptions, truths, beliefs, justification, and the relationship between the human mind and the world.

Empiricism

The theory states that knowledge mainly bases upon experience by the senses which claims that many prominent thinkers, such as John Locke, George Berkeley, and David Hume stated that all knowledge is derived from what we perceive by our senses and human beings have no innate knowledge. What would happen if there were no sensory input? Empiricists reply that nothing will exist, and our vision about the world is merely restrictive to what we experience.

Rationalism

Rationalism theory of knowledge postulates that knowledge mainly arises from reason or from innate ideas that exist independently of sense experience. Famous rationalists were René Descartes, Baruch Spinoza, and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, who argued that many true things could be known a priori-that is, independently of experience, by mere rational thinking alone. Rationalists have faith that the mind can realize general truths through logic and deduction, independent of sense experience.

Constructivism

Constructionism declares that knowledge is not acquired passively but rather actively constructed from the individual's experiences and through his or her own cognitive process. Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky viewed the individual as an organizer of his or her worldview in coactivity with the environment and as one who establishes new information in relation with previously existing mental structures. Thus, knowledge is a subjective event because it is subject to interpretation by the individual in reality.

Pragmatism

Pragmatism maintains that knowledge is verified by its practical utility and consequences. The pragmatic school, as it is sometimes called, was seen in the philosophies of Charles Sanders Peirce, William James, and John Dewey-all of whom asserted that beliefs or theories are true if and only if they work in practice, get things done. According to pragmatism, the value of knowledge is not found in abstract theorizing but rather in its being applicable or in being able to solve actual problems in life.

Coherence Theory of Truth

According to the Coherence Theory of Truth, a belief is true if it coheres with a set of beliefs or propositions that form a coherent system. This theory focuses on the internal coherence and logical harmony of ideas as opposed to their correspondence with reality. Truth, according to both Baruch Spinoza and Hegel, is not so much determined by individual facts but by the way ideas fit well together as a whole.

Correspondence Theory of Truth

The Correspondence Theory of Truth states that a belief is true just in case it corresponds to the facts or reality it purports to describe. Philosophers such as Aristotle and Bertrand Russell have argued that the notion of truth is objective, based on a relationship between language or thought and the external world, hence an objective relation between the two. Such a belief is a measure of how well it reflects the way things are.

Skepticism

Skepticism is a philosophy or vision that holds knowledge, or specific knowledge, may be impossible or at least pretty uncertain. It argues that human beings cannot attain certain or absolute knowledge or proof about anything because of the limits of perception, reasoning, and sensory data. Skeptics like Pyrrho and David Hume, for example, argue that many of our beliefs are based upon unreliable sources, and true knowledge is beyond human capacity.

The Theory of Justified True Belief

The Theory of Justified True Belief (JTB) is the traditional knowledge model, which counts as valid the following situation for a belief to be counted as knowledge: it must be true, believed by the person in question, and justified by adequate reasons or evidence. This theory dates back to Plato and is still a standard framework in epistemology, although often challenged by philosophers such as Edmund Gettier, who proposed his situations, in which these conditions do not necessarily lead to knowledge.

Phenomenology

Phenomenology is a philosophy approach that focuses on the given structure of subjective experience and consciousness. Edmund Husserl and Martin Heidegger in this light emphasized that knowledge lies in direct, lived experiences, and our conceptualization of things is through the eyes of what we perceive and mental frames. Phenomenologists further assert that reality can only be understood from the subjective perspective of human experience and consciousness.

Some Important Theory of Knowledge

The Theory of Knowledge, or Epistemology, is that branch of philosophy which deals with what counts as knowledge, how much of it exists, and so on. It concerns questions about the nature of belief, truth, and justification and about how knowledge is obtained and validated. Among others, rationalism and empiricism, skepticism and constructivism are some theories advanced to answer how we come to know things.

Plato's Theory of Knowledge

Plato's theory of knowledge was premised on an assumption that there were Forms or Ideas that were eternal, abstracted, immoveable, and perfect in them, such as beauty, justice, and equality. Plato, therefore, presumed that what we perceive through our senses is only illusion, and all realities are to be known by the intellect alone through grasping of these immutable Forms. He believed that learning is a form of recollection (anamnesis), whereby the soul recalls knowledge it had before being born, which are accessible by reason.

Theory of Knowledge by Socrates

Socrates, Plato's master, posited a method of investigation called the Socratic method, where he establishes a framework of questioning and answering questions to tease out false beliefs as well as contradictions. To Socrates, knowledge is not put together by the aggregation of facts, but knowing how much one does not know and seeking wisdom through dialogue and self-examination. He said famously, "I know that I am wise because I know that I know nothing," and that really emphasized the importance of humility in the attainment of knowledge.

John Locke's Theory of Knowledge

John Locke's Theory of Knowledge is founded on empiricism-the idea that everything coming to be known must be built upon what one has sensed. According to Locke, the newborn mind was a tabula rasa, a blank slate, and all knowledge came into being with impressions from the world around us. He distinguished primary qualities, those that in objects themselves exist, for instance shape and motion and secondary qualities, in which case the color of an object, or its sound, for example exist only insofar as the object elicits particular sensations in a perceiver's senses.

Conclusion

Theory of Knowledge can well be held as theory about understanding's roots; indeed, it deals with knowledge and reality. The theory questions the reliability and sources of knowledge: perception, reason, and intuition. Various theories explained through different versions of these epistemologies are represented, such as empiricism, rationalism, and constructivism, where one explains that knowledge comes from within or from experience. Recent epistemological discussions carry skeptical undertones, relativism, and even issues relating to the challenge of epistemic injustice, among others. In fact, epistemology helps us understand more profoundly how we come to know what we know and the implications on science, ethics, and the rest of human enterprise.

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