DAY 39 - What Is Epistemology cont'd

"All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them."

Galileo Galilei (1564 - 1642)

What do you see when you look at this next two images? 

A horse of course!

And what do you see here?

Exactly!  A frog from Prague.

Well part of what you see depends on your weltanschauung (remember worldview?). But which one is it, a horse or a frog? Obviously, both. Through this example you see (no pun intended), how your perspective changes the truth.

Same picture(s), different angles:

So, at what point did it become more horse and less frog when viewed left to right?  Right to left?

In this unit, you will be expanding your ability to see different perspectives as you attempt to uncover the truth about...the truth!

Epistemology:

1. Introduction

After studying Metaphysics you might be wondering whether you can know anything for certain (remember Descartes and Hume?). Or, more cynically, what's the point? After all, if nothing can be known for sure, then why bother studying philosophy at all?

Sadly, many people end their philosophical journey there. Fortunately, some people are less deterred and continue onward, seeking wisdom for the love of the quest.

Whether you know it or not, epistemology affects you every day. For example, imagine a friend dings you online and tells you that someone at school likes you. You may take what they say at face value, or you may question whether it is true or not. After making that decision, you must decide how you intend to respond. Or, consider this: you are a juror and your answer to the question "guilty or not guilty?" will alter a person's life forever.

Epistemology is the search for truth and knowledge - not just in attempting to answer the Big Questions, but also for what can be known as true itself. After all, what question is more important than "isn't that the truth?"

2. "Trust Me"

No doubt you have heard someone say "trust me" to you before. But what does it really mean? The statement implies a number of things:

1. The person believes they have knowledge;
2. The person believes they have truth;
3. The person believes you have neither;
4. The person believes you might doubt them.

Note from the above example the word 'believes'. This word is there because unless the person is expressing a mathematical equation, it is unlikely they can fully prove their claim. That is because most statements are subjective - that is, dependent on the weltanschauung of the person listening. In fact, most of what you believe you know is likely because you trust the person or source.

Did You Know???

Take a moment and consider what you know about Pluto.  Make a dot-jot list of everything you know about the ex-planet (sorry Pluto fans).

In the list you generated, you may have said things like: a planet, made out of rock, in our solar system, has a moon, etc.

But it is safe to say your list probably didn't include: might exist. Why is that? 

The answer (probably) is that you learned about the planets in elementary school and you trusted the source - whether your teacher or textbook. You may have even seen a picture of it (like the one up there).

Well, unfortunately, much of what you 'know' is false! Pluto's status as a planet is, as you probably know, hotly debated, its composition is unknown, it enters and exits our solar system and has 3 moons. Plus, most of the images you see are only artist's impressions, not actual photos.  And besides, how many well-Photoshopped pictures have you seen that don't depict the truth?  In official circles Pluto is now considered a dwarf planet although having grown up with 9 planets I still cannot reconcile with this new fact - to me Pluto will always be a planet.

So what does this mean? That you must doubt everything you hear? Well, according to Hume - YES! But, for most of us the lesson here is to avoid unquestioning belief. That way you can have a healthy skepticism, rather than a paralyzing skepticism.

Oh, and by the way, if you also wrote down Pluto was the last planet in the solar system, well, have you heard of Eris?  Check out Eris:  Meet Eris, a newer member of our solar system!

3. Socratic Method

You have probably heard of the scientific method; it is the method scientists use to advance their hypotheses. Well, philosophy has a method too - the Socratic Method.

It has taken over 2000 years, but the lovers of the Socratic Dialogues are finally going to have a chance to expand their library. How? By purchasing the latest Socratic Dialogue written by... YOU!

Your task is to write a brand new Socratic dialogue. Using the Socratic Method, focus on answering the question: 'what is knowledge?' 

Here's is some information to help you along:

To assist you further examine the sample below from Plato's Republic:

* Note how he employs a series of questions. By doing so Socrates made the people who answered the questions understand not only the point he was trying to make but also that they didn't know as much as they thought and previously unknown truth was being revealed to them.

"And who is best able to do good to his friends and evil to his enemies in time of sickness?

The physician.

Or when they are on a voyage, amid the perils of the sea?

The pilot.

And in what sort of actions or with a view to what result is the just man most able to do harm to his enemy and good to his friend?

In going to war against the one and in making alliances with the other.

But when a man is well, my dear Polemarchus, there is no need of a physician?

No.

And he who is not on a voyage has no need of a pilot?

No.

Then in time of peace justice will be of no use?

I am very far from thinking so.

You think that justice may be of use in peace as well as in war?"

Note how Socrates proved his point by asking questions? The final question is arhetorical question. It is designed not to be answered. Socrates asked the question for the purpose of summing up his argument. There is only one answer the other person could give, when examining the argument Socrates presented, and it was Yes.

THE REPUBLIC by Plato (360 B.C.), translated by Benjamin Jowett. Public domain work found here.

General Rules for employing Socratic Dialogue:

1. Build from your own experience;
2. Do not be too emotional;
3. Keep your examples as clear and simple as possible;
4. Be interesting to everyone;
5. The question plays a central role in the example;
6. Do not involve the participant(s) directly (their mind(s) may draw upon an experience that is quite different than yours);
7. Do not speak hypothetically;
8. Express your doubts;
9. Strive for consensus.

Here's one I wrote:

Socrates:    What do you rely upon most to see what is going on around you?

Mark:          My eyes.

Socrates:    And do your eyes give you an accurate picture of the world.

Mark:          Yes, although they need a bit of help so I wear glasses.

Socrates:    Tell me what your eyes see in the sky at night, and sometimes in the day.

Mark:          The most noticeable thing is our beautiful Moon which rises in the east and travels             across the sky setting in the west.

Socrates:    And what does that tell you about the motion of the Moon?

Mark:          That the Moon is in orbit around the Earth.

Socrates:    Good!  And tell me what your eyes see in the sky during the day?

Mark:         The most noticeable thing is our blazing sun which rises in the east and travels across the sky setting in the west.

Socrates:    And what does that tell you about the motion of the Sun?

Mark:          That the Sun is in orbit around the Earth too, just like the Moon!

Modern Scientist:  Whoah!  Hold on a minute, fellas!!