PHIL 201STUDY GUIDE: LESSON 8Acquiring KnowledgeLesson OverviewIn our introductory lesson in epistemology, we defined knowledge as “justified true belief.” In this lesson, we want to examine the “belief” element. Knowledge begins by adopting beliefs and one question philosophers have deliberated about for centuries has to do with the source of our beliefs: where do they come from? That is the subject of our reading and our presentation. There is some overlap between these, but consider one as expounding upon the other.TasksView and take notes on the presentation, “How are Beliefs Acquired?”- According to Plato, how do we learn things?- How did Descartes arrive at the existence of God? Matter?- Explain Kant’s combination of empiricism and rationalism and his radical conclusion.Read and take notes on Chapter 3 of How Do You Know?, “Where Does Knowledge Come From?” As you do, consider the following questions and points:- List the 5 sources for knowledge.o How does reason give us knowledge?o How does experience give us knowledge?o Is testimony of any value?o Do we have revelation?o Is faith a source of knowledge?- Explain Plato’s doctrine of the forms and the 2 worlds, and why Plato was hesitant to build a theory of knowledge on the physical world.o Plato argued that ultimate reality was not in individual physical objects of our experience, which are subject to constant change, but in the metaphysical entities known as forms.o The forms are unchanging abstract metaphysical entities that transcened time andspacem are unmixed with any other entities or qualities and are the model of all physical objects that resemble the form itself.o Physical objects are subject to change.- How do we gain true knowledge according to Plato?o When considering the forms, not when considering the physical world.- Explain Plato’s divided line.o- What was Descartes searching for and how did he conduct that search?o A way to establish his knowledge with absolute certainty.o- Why can Descartes be certain about is existence?o Rationality proves existencePage 1 of 3PHIL 201- What is the distinction between hard and soft empiricism?o Hard: knowledge comes only from senseo Soft: most knowledge come to us through senses- How does the epicurean view of reality affect their epistemology?o They were materialists, so they essentially could only learn about the material world through experience- Contrast the deductive method with Bacon’s inductive (scientific) method.- Emphasis on empirical data to induce a conclusion- Explain Locke’s empiricism including his division of simple and complex ideas.o Ideas are the mental object of the mind that represent the external world. The birth of the mind was Tabula Rasa-a blank slate.o Simple ideas: the mental representation of one signle quality, unmixed with any others.o Complex ideas: built on many different simple ideas presented to the mind.- Explain Hume’s radical empiricism including Hume’s Fork and the conclusion he reaches based on the egocentric predicament.o Relations of ideas (logically true but tell us nothing about reality.)o Matter of Fact (perception, i.e. car is blue)o All we can claim to know are phenomena of our own experiences but we cannot know what reality is with any certainty outside of those experiences.- Why are epistemologists suspicious of testimony as a source for knowledge?o Indirect access to reality, not a firsthand source.- Why is divine revelation an important source of knowledge about God?o One cannot know by looking at nature that God is Triune and omniscient or that salvation is through Christ alone.- Is faith properly understood as a source of knowledge? Why or why not?o Faith is not a source of knowledge. It is a response to knowledge, however.Page 2 of 3PHIL 201TermsMake sure you fully understand the following terms and concepts:- Rationalism: a belief or theory that opinions and actions should be based on reason and knowledge rather than on religious belief or emotional response.- A priori: very skeptical of the senses and their ability to render accurate information about reality, rationalists rely on the mind and reason to discover and investigate truth.- Form: the external shape, appearance, or configuration of an object.- World of Being: the metaphysical realm, which is populated by the forms, archetypes of the objects in the physical realm.- World of Becoming: the physical realm, which objects experience continual change.- Divided Line: reality itself might be split into two different realms: the physical below, and the metaphysical above- Intuition: claiming to know things or affirm things based on what we wouldcall common sense- Empiricism: the theory that all knowledge is derived from sense-experience. Stimulated by the rise of experimental science, it developed in the 17th and 18th centuries, expounded in particular by John Locke, George Berkeley, and David Hume.- Epicureanism- Bacon’s Inductive Method- Tabula Rasa- Simple Idea- Complex Idea- Hume’s Fork- Relations of Ideas- Matters of Facts- Egocentric Predicament- Faith- Belief- Recollection-Cogito Ergo Sum- Ontological Argument for God- Categories of Understanding-Noumena- PhenomenaPage 3 of
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