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definition [2014/10/08 11:45] kai [Kinds of Knowledge] |
definition [2014/10/14 06:55] (current) kai |
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| + | **[[start|<< Up]]** | ||
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| ====== What is Knowledge? ====== | ====== What is Knowledge? ====== | ||
| ---- | ---- | ||
| ===== Kinds of Knowledge ===== | ===== Kinds of Knowledge ===== | ||
| - | - knowledge __that__ ... [a proposition/statement expressed in a sentence]\\ = 'propositional knowledge'\\ including: | + | if we consider different ways of using the verb "to know", we can distinguish: |
| + | |||
| + | - knowledge __that__ ... [+ a proposition/statement expressed in a sentence]\\ = 'propositional knowledge'\\ including: | ||
| * "I know __when__ the sun rises" <- "I know __that__ the sun rises at 5.58" | * "I know __when__ the sun rises" <- "I know __that__ the sun rises at 5.58" | ||
| * "I know __where__ Nairobi is" <- "I know __that__ Nairobi is in Kenya"\\ \\ | * "I know __where__ Nairobi is" <- "I know __that__ Nairobi is in Kenya"\\ \\ | ||
| - | - knowledge __how to__ ... [a skill/activity expressed by a verb]\\ \\ | + | - knowledge __how to__ ... [+ a skill/activity expressed by a verb]\\ \\ |
| - | - knowledge ... [an object/place/person represented by a noun]\\ = 'knowledge by acquaintance' | + | - knowledge ... [+ an object/place/person represented by a noun]\\ = 'knowledge by acquaintance' |
| + | |||
| + | cf. in French: //savoir// v. //connaitre//, or in German: //wissen// v. //kennen// | ||
| BUT the different kinds of knowledge are not completely separate: | BUT the different kinds of knowledge are not completely separate: | ||
| - | * "I know how to ride a bike" => "I know that I put the feet on the pedals" | + | * "I know __how to__ ride a bike" => "I know __that__ one puts the feet on the pedals" etc. |
| - | * "I know John"\\ => "I know that John is a boy"\\ => "I know how to make him laugh"\\ (need enough information to identify him, but what that is depends -- similarly: "I know Kigali") | + | * "I know John" (or similarly: "I know Kigali")\\ => "I know __that__ John is a boy"\\ => "I know __how to__ make him laugh"\\ etc. (-- need enough information to uniquely identify him, but what that is depends) |
| + | in different areas, such as History, Science, ..., even Ethics: | ||
| + | * "I know __that__ ...":\\ "... WW2 ended in 1945", "... sodium is a metal", | ||
| + | * "I know __how to__ ...":\\ "... analyse original sources", "... use atomic numbers to place elements in the periodic table", | ||
| + | * in the course of our education, we move from the former to the latter. | ||
| ===== Kinds of Knowers ===== | ===== Kinds of Knowers ===== | ||
| + | the knower's perspective:\\ | ||
| + | just as what I perceive depends on where I stand,\\ | ||
| + | the knowledge I can have depends on who I am, my past experiences, etc. -- e.g. | ||
| + | * in science: different scientists can have different theories, | ||
| + | * in history: bias may be unavoidable. | ||
| + | |||
| + | distinguish | ||
| + | |||
| + | * __personal knowledge__,\\ based on a person's own experience -- e.g. | ||
| + | * much of knowledge how to ... is personal knowledge; | ||
| + | * what I see, what I remember, what I feel. | ||
| + | |||
| + | * __shared knowledge__,\\ publication **+** acceptance by others:\\ BUT what that acceptance is based on depends on the area of knowledge -- e.g. | ||
| + | * in science:\\ experiments must be repeatable, by others, in other places, | ||
| + | * in history:\\ new evidence must be credible, a new 'story'/account must make sense of the evidence. | ||
| ===== A Definition ===== | ===== A Definition ===== | ||
| ===== The Eastern Conception of Knowledge ===== | ===== The Eastern Conception of Knowledge ===== | ||
definition.1412768741.txt.gz · Last modified: 2014/10/08 11:45 by kai
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