Epistemology By Manish

Manish Sainju Mr. Glover 16/03/2009 Epistemology Epistemology generally is the theory of knowledge. The term Epistemology is derived from two Greek words, ‘episteme’ and ‘logos’. ‘Episteme’ means knowledge and ‘logos’ means theory. This philosophical theory deals with the questions concerning with definition of knowledge. It also is concerned with nature, scopes, related concept, source and criteria of possible knowledge. The knowledge acquisition is done in several ways. It depends on the one who and how he/she perceives the knowledge in his/her life. Some philosophers believe in empiricism whereas some believe in rationalism. And some believe in constructivism. Empiricism is the highly accepted way of perceiving knowledge. It delivers thoughts that knowledge originates in senses. For instance, we see, feel, touch, sense, smell and that makes us believe that it is true and exists. Most of the forms of knowledge are derived from our experience. More we experience, more knowledge we gain. This is the reason that we became matured, and achieve great success through the process of learning and experiencing. John Locke has said, “Mind is a blank slate” (Encarta 2002, CD-ROM). It means people learn everything after the birth. They grow up, educate and experience once they are born. There are not any inborn qualities for understanding and learning the things. For this kind of blank state of human mind, Locke calls, Tabula Rasa. Children ask their mothers to bring them the moon at night because they do not have any idea how far the moon is. But as they grow, they start to know why he did not get the moon. However, rationalism, another theory, focuses on “all knowledge starts with the mind” (Encarta 2002, CD-ROM). Plato, one of the greatest philosophers of the world was a rationalist.

He stated “knowledge is a justified true belief in order to know that given preposition is true” (Wikipedia 2009). According to this theory, something must be proved first to get the knowledge that it is true. Without proof nothing can be considered as truth. People believe on the scientific theories only after they are proved in labs. If they are not proved they remain as myth. Similarly, many other philosophers have expressed their own views and have followed certain theories on acquiring knowledge. Constructivism is another specific theory of acquiring knowledge. Kant is counted as the true constructivist. It is a view in philosophy which indicates knowledge as “constructed” in as much as it is contingent on convention, human perception and social experience. Knowledge gained in schools and universities apply this theory. Knowledge is gradually constructed as students gradually step to another level. Nevertheless, these theories of perceiving knowledge have, to some extent, express contradictory views confusing the common readers. In sum, knowledge is something that carries both truth and belief. Some knowledge is true without any doubt. Neither has it needed any hard proof. For example, sun is the source of light; it is universal truth and cannot be made false. But some knowledge is to be believed without any hard proof. When one believes in anything, then it is true for him/her, whatever it actually is. For example the existence of god, whoever believes it, it is true for them and whoever does not believe it, it is not false for them. References 1. Microsoft Encarta 2002, CD-ROM 2. Wikipedia Online Dictionary, 2009