EPISTEMOLOGY

From Philosopedia

EPISTEMOLOGY

Epistemology is a study or a theory of the nature and grounds of knowledge, focusing on the limits and validity of knowledge. In short, “How do we know what we know?”

John Dewey is one of many naturalists (as contrasted with supernturalists) who have written on the subject.

Logical positivists, by positing the verification principle, define the testable scope of epistemology. One can “know,” for example, from the readings on a Fahrenheit thermometer the relative temperature of a room. One cannot “know,” however, “the origin of nothing as compared with something”. . . nor if karma and fate are valid concepts . . . nor if the Christian God has the same number of bodily openings as humans.

(See entry for Richard Dawkins and karma.

{For a thorough study of the subject, see the Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Vol. 3.}