The knowledge about KNOWLEDGE
The thirst for knowledge
Knowledge. It is something most of us strive to acquire in large amounts throughout our lives, and dedicate most of our childhood and youth for. Most of us believe that knowledge is that which is usually imparted in classrooms and through books.
What we often fail to realize is that the only thing that we need to acquire true knowledge is a clear and unbiased mind.
The search for knowledge
But how can we define ‘knowledge’? How exactly do we come to acquire it? How do we differentiate ‘true’ knowledge from false? And why is it so important?
Epistemology, also known as the theory of knowledge, is a branch of philosophy. The term epistemology is derived from two Greek words — episteme (knowledge) and logos (reason).
It is often regarded as the first philosophy by many philosophers as it is fundamental to all areas that require justified beliefs and understanding. The understanding of this field is important in all fields of life.
A simple definition of knowledge is anything that is a true, justified belief. This means even a lucky guess does not count as knowledge. So a belief to be justified, it must have concrete, irrefutable evidence(s) in its favor.
Plato and the qualifications for knowledge
Here, the distinction drawn by Plato is most relevant. He claims that there are three conditions that must be fulfilled for one to have knowledge. These are-
1) the proposition must be one that is believed
2) the proposition must be one that is true
3) you must be justified in believing the proposition
All the beliefs, or propositions, that fulfil the above three criteria can be counted as knowledge.
Also read — Understanding Empiricism and Rationalism
The Thinking Lane 