Epistemology

Epistemology is concentrated on the nature and scope of knowledge. It is derived from the Greek word which means “knowledge, science”. It is also called the theory of knowledge. There are various questions that are being addressed by epistemology. They are How do we know what we know? What is knowledge? How is knowledge acquired? Analyzing the nature of knowledge has been the main focus of epistemology. There have been so many debates on reckoning how knowledge is connected to other similar notions like belief, truth an justification. It also examines the means of knowledge production as well as the skepticism about the different knowledge claims.

James Frederick Ferrier, the Scottish philosopher was the first one to introduce the term “Epistemology” in to English. The article written was in a philosophical style and assumed a philosophical epistemology. If representatives of various disciplines like literature studies, history and other non-humanities discipline like law, formal sciences, natural sciences, social sciences or theology starts writing on epistemology; different accounts of epistemology would emerge.

The epistemology in this article is a kind of knowledge that is known as “knowledge that” which is generally discussed in propositional knowledge. The relation between knowing that and knowing how is also analyzed in here. The serious question here is that How “know that” is related to acquaintance knowledge and “knowledge how”? A good example can be the mathematical calculations like 2+2 =4 which is known to everyone. But there is also something like knowing how to add numbers and also knowing a place, knowing a person, knowing a thing or knowing an activity. There are quite a few philosophers who thought there is a distinction between knowing that and knowing how. Epistemology is primarily interested in knowing that.

“Problems of Philosophy’ by Bertrand Russell has become popular for the difference it has found between the knowledge by acquaintance and the knowledge by description. On the other hand “The Concept of Mind” by Gilbert Ryle is praised for emphasizing the distinction between knowing that and knowing how. Michael Polanyi in the “The concept of Mind” was praised epistemological relevance of knowledge that and knowledge how.

This work has brought an example which has attracted every one. Riding a bicycle involves an act of balance which wouldn’t be brought by knowledge of physics. i.e., the theoretical knowledge of the physics that is involved in balancing the bicycle can never substitute the practical knowledge which is acquired by riding the cycle. So, it is very important to understand both how and that.

Questions

• What are the questions that are addressed by epistemology?
• What is the main interest of epistemology?