Epistemology

Epistemology is the branch of philosophy that studies the nature, origin, and scope of knowledge and belief. The term "epistemology" comes from the Greek words "episteme" and "logos". "Episteme" can be translated as "knowledge" or "understanding" and "logos" can be translated as "account" or "argument". Thus, 'epistemology' is the study of knowledge or the study of how we know what we know.

Definition

Epistemology, as a field of study, is concerned with four main questions: What is knowledge? How is knowledge acquired? What do people know? How do we know what we know? It is these questions that epistemology seeks to answer.

Branches of Epistemology

Epistemology can be divided into three sub-branches: empiricism, rationalism, and skepticism.

Empiricism

Empiricism is the belief that knowledge comes primarily from sensory experience. It emphasizes the role of experience and evidence, especially sensory perception, in the formation of ideas, over the notion of innate ideas or traditions.

Rationalism

Rationalism is the belief that reason and logic are the primary sources of knowledge. It holds that knowledge is not derived from experience, as empiricism claims, but rather is acquired through a process of reasoning and deduction.

Skepticism

Skepticism is the philosophical position that one should refrain from making truth claims, and avoid the postulation of final truths. This is not necessarily quite the same as claiming that truth is impossible (which would itself be a truth claim), but is often used in this sense.

See Also

• Philosophy
• Empiricism
• Rationalism
• Skepticism

References

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  Bertrand Russell, 1907
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  Immanuel Kant, circa 1790
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  Justified True Belief model of knowledge
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  Foundationalism, coherentism, infinitism
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  Alvin Goldman, 1966
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  Elizabeth Anderson, philosopher
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  Portrait of Dharmakirti, Tibet, c. 15th-16th century
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  Portrait of René Descartes by Frans Hals