Epi - sum 1
There are 3 senses of ‘knows’:
1. propositional knowledge (I know 2+2=4)
2. acquaintance knowledge (I know him)
3. how-to knowledge (I know how to play the piano)
Sentence versus proposition
-A sentence can be in different languages but have the same proposition. Therefore the sentence is
not the same, but the proposition is.
Knowledge: requires a person (S) to have an epistemically justified true belief (JTB).
There are 3 different attitudes toward a proposition:
1. We can accept the proposition.
2. We can dismiss the proposition.
3. We can suspend judgment
There are 2 different kinds of belief:
1. Dispositional; not really there, you believe it but do not think about it
2. Occurrent; you are thinking of it.
The correspondence theory of truth:
1. A proposition is true if and only if it corresponds with the facts.
2. A proposition is false if and only if it fails to correspond with the facts.
When are we justified in believing p?
1. Knowledge requires epistemic justification
2. A proposition can be true and not justified
3. A proposition can be justified and not true
4. One does not have to know that one is justified in his belief
5. Justification is relative in that one person can be justified in believing p and another
cannot.
6. Epistemic justification comes in degrees
7. A proposition can be justified for a person even if he does not believe it.
Evidence:
, 1. conclusive: guarantees the truth of a proposition
2. nonconclusive: does not (always) guarantee the truth of a proposition
3. defeating: guarantees the falsehood of a proposition
Epi - sum 2
The Gettier problem: one can be justified in believing something, but it can be not true.
Solving the Gettier problem:
1. The Principle of Deductive Closure (PDC): justification is transmitted through
deduction.
2. The No False Grounds Approach: to deduce something from a falsehood.
3. The Defeasibility Approach: when someone believes a false proposition and a
proposition that defeases that false proposition.
4. The Causal Approach: there needs to be a causal connection between one’s belief of p
and the fact that p is true.
Epi - sum 3
A justified basic belief: 1) a belief in mathematical or logical truths and 2) a belief in our own
mental state.
We base our beliefs on justified basic beliefs, which causes a chain of beliefs, which ends in a
justified basic belief.
Classical foundationalism: justified basic beliefs must be infallible.
Modest foundationalism: does not claim that justified basic beliefs must be infallible.
What makes a justified basic belief?
1. There must be a positive evaluation of the proposition.
2. These evaluative properties supervene on descriptive properties.
3. If two things share the same descriptive properties, they share the same evaluative
property.
Nondoxastic belief: a belief about your mental state.
There are 3 senses of ‘knows’:
1. propositional knowledge (I know 2+2=4)
2. acquaintance knowledge (I know him)
3. how-to knowledge (I know how to play the piano)
Sentence versus proposition
-A sentence can be in different languages but have the same proposition. Therefore the sentence is
not the same, but the proposition is.
Knowledge: requires a person (S) to have an epistemically justified true belief (JTB).
There are 3 different attitudes toward a proposition:
1. We can accept the proposition.
2. We can dismiss the proposition.
3. We can suspend judgment
There are 2 different kinds of belief:
1. Dispositional; not really there, you believe it but do not think about it
2. Occurrent; you are thinking of it.
The correspondence theory of truth:
1. A proposition is true if and only if it corresponds with the facts.
2. A proposition is false if and only if it fails to correspond with the facts.
When are we justified in believing p?
1. Knowledge requires epistemic justification
2. A proposition can be true and not justified
3. A proposition can be justified and not true
4. One does not have to know that one is justified in his belief
5. Justification is relative in that one person can be justified in believing p and another
cannot.
6. Epistemic justification comes in degrees
7. A proposition can be justified for a person even if he does not believe it.
Evidence:
, 1. conclusive: guarantees the truth of a proposition
2. nonconclusive: does not (always) guarantee the truth of a proposition
3. defeating: guarantees the falsehood of a proposition
Epi - sum 2
The Gettier problem: one can be justified in believing something, but it can be not true.
Solving the Gettier problem:
1. The Principle of Deductive Closure (PDC): justification is transmitted through
deduction.
2. The No False Grounds Approach: to deduce something from a falsehood.
3. The Defeasibility Approach: when someone believes a false proposition and a
proposition that defeases that false proposition.
4. The Causal Approach: there needs to be a causal connection between one’s belief of p
and the fact that p is true.
Epi - sum 3
A justified basic belief: 1) a belief in mathematical or logical truths and 2) a belief in our own
mental state.
We base our beliefs on justified basic beliefs, which causes a chain of beliefs, which ends in a
justified basic belief.
Classical foundationalism: justified basic beliefs must be infallible.
Modest foundationalism: does not claim that justified basic beliefs must be infallible.
What makes a justified basic belief?
1. There must be a positive evaluation of the proposition.
2. These evaluative properties supervene on descriptive properties.
3. If two things share the same descriptive properties, they share the same evaluative
property.
Nondoxastic belief: a belief about your mental state.
