Purchase Solution

Knowledge vs. Opinion: Where and How do we draw the line?

Not what you're looking for?

Ask Custom Question

We do not know everything. In fact, there are lots of things we can never know. So, how can we recognize the limits of our capacity for knowledge? What role might skepticism and the method of doubt play in helping us to delineate our limits? How do we know when to keep trying to figure something out and when it is better to give up and stop wasting our time?

Although we are in pursuit of an abstract distinction here, practical examples may help us to draw it more clearly. The responses will arise pretty naturally, as we lend our individual opinions to the project of discovering a shared understanding of our epistemological limits.

Purchase this Solution
Solution Summary

This solution discusses the differentiation between knowledge and opinion.

Solution Preview

In the legal process, there is an aphorism which states, "I only know what I can prove in court." That may very well be a sound basis from which to begin the study of knowledge and how our own cognitive blind spots limit that study.

Plato asserted that in order for something to be considered "knowledge" it had to be justified, true and believed.

Robert Nozick argued that "knowledge" is not synonymous with "truth" but that it does 'track' with what is true.

Popper asserted that knowledge (in the form of a proof [of a theory]), must be arguable, testable and repeatable.

But what of ...

Purchase this Solution
Free BrainMass Quizzes
The World Health Organization

This quiz assesses the students knowledge about the World Health Organization. Although listed under “Philosophy” it is relevant to health care, political science, pre-med, and social scientist students as well.

Descartes Meditations on First Philosophy

Short quiz relating to Descartes

View More Free Quizzes
Related BrainMass Solutions

  • What gives human life meaning?

    What about the knowledge that has been recorded by previous generations? Why or why not? A: It depends on how we determine knowledge and the source of knowledge.

  • American differences: make us better problem solvers?

    None of them will be able to draw on personal knowledge or experience about the other's area, but all will gain better understanding of how things were and how we need for them to be in the future. Thank you for asking Brainmass.

  • Descartes Meditation 2 the wax example

    Therefore the knowledge of my existence is necessarily true and not a mere opinion. Descartes says that knowledge is the foundation of all knowledge. Now, how can our self certainty relate to our other beliefs about the world?

  • Translating Position, Velocity and Acceleration Graphs

    Draw and explain step by step how you get the velocity graph from this. 2. Is the position graph increasing or decreasing? 3. Draw the acceleration graph and give units or #s for each time. 4.

  • velocity vs time and acceleration vs time

    205859 Position and Velocity Need help with this problem on position and velocity. I'm given a graph of velocity vs. time, how do I draw the acceleration vs. time from these graph?

  • Graphs used to model motion.

    Now, if we draw a graph between velocity and time, we will have to use first equation, v = u + a*t, (== y = c + m*x) which shows a linear relation between v and t.

  • Knowledge and Belief; how does Plato think we can "know"?

    341269 Knowledge and Belief What does Plato say about knowledge? In his Allegory, what do the Sun, line and cave represent? What can we know / how do we know it? -can we "know" (have knowledge about) the things that are all around us?

  • Ethics of Using Machines vs. Machines Using Ethics

    At what point do we "draw the line" when using a new medium, like artificial computation? Where is line for intellectual property rights, in an age where anyone can know anyone's idea without the original person finding out?

  • Distance vs Time Graph, Velocity, and Acceleration Graphings

    Since these are the only two points you're given, you can now draw a line connecting the two dots, and this will be your new graph. When you graph this, and connect the dots, you'll get a straight line.

View More Related Solutions