Laura Knight-Jadczyk | Postcards From the Edge of Reality
From ancient philosophers to modern crises, how do we know what we know?
I'm pretty sure I've mentioned once or twice in my recent posts that I've been planning to write about epistemology. It sure has been on my mind a lot for the past few weeks and the more I look into it and think about it, the more complicated it seems.
We recently had guests - a young couple - and, over supper, I was asked what I was working on. I said that I was thinking about - not actually working on - epistemology. The husband and wife looked at each other and exchanged some sort of silent communication which she then explained. Apparently, her father, a professor at a university, has been writing a book about epistemology for the past 40 years. I thought, 'holy frijoles!' I worked on the research for my book on early Christianity - off and on - from about 1982 until it was finally completed in 2020. That's only 38 years and I'm satisfied with the work I did on that. But this poor guy -the father of our guest- has been working on epistemology longer than that and is still laboring with, apparently, no end in sight.
So, I did a lot more thinking and poking into the matter. Naturally Grok got a real workout with me sending it out to fetch data to help me think even harder. I am no longer surprised that someone can work on this topic for 40 years with no end in sight.
The word epistemology comes from the Greek words epistēmē (ἐπιστήμη), meaning "knowledge" or "understanding," and logos (λόγος), meaning "study" or "discourse." So, epistemology literally means the study of knowledge. (It's not related to the word 'epistle'; they only share a prefix: epi.)
Epistemologists are philosophers who specialize in epistemology, the branch of philosophy that examines the nature, origins, scope, and limits of knowledge. Their work primarily involves analyzing fundamental questions such as: What constitutes knowledge? How do we distinguish between justified beliefs and mere opinions? What are the sources of knowledge (e.g., perception, reason, memory, or testimony)? And how can we respond to skepticism about whether we can truly know anything at all?
In practice, epistemologists engage in a range of activities:
It seems pretty obvious to me that somehow, epistemology has lost its way in the West, at least. There is substantial discussion in recent analyses about a perceived downturn in educational outcomes and knowledge retention in Western countries. For instance, standardized test scores in reading, math, and science have stagnated or fallen in many nations, including the U.S., where national assessments show declines since the 1990s, exacerbated post-COVID. Critics argue this reflects systemic failures: outdated curricula that prioritize standardized testing over critical thinking, inadequate teacher training, and a shift away from core subjects like history and civics. In Europe, similar issues emerge, with reports highlighting school failure linked to socioeconomic disparities and rigid structures that don't adapt to modern needs. Some attribute this to a broader "dumbing down," where rote memorization replaces deep understanding, leading to lower civic knowledge among youth.
I'm pretty sure I've mentioned once or twice in my recent posts that I've been planning to write about epistemology. It sure has been on my mind a lot for the past few weeks and the more I look into it and think about it, the more complicated it seems.
We recently had guests - a young couple - and, over supper, I was asked what I was working on. I said that I was thinking about - not actually working on - epistemology. The husband and wife looked at each other and exchanged some sort of silent communication which she then explained. Apparently, her father, a professor at a university, has been writing a book about epistemology for the past 40 years. I thought, 'holy frijoles!' I worked on the research for my book on early Christianity - off and on - from about 1982 until it was finally completed in 2020. That's only 38 years and I'm satisfied with the work I did on that. But this poor guy -the father of our guest- has been working on epistemology longer than that and is still laboring with, apparently, no end in sight.
So, I did a lot more thinking and poking into the matter. Naturally Grok got a real workout with me sending it out to fetch data to help me think even harder. I am no longer surprised that someone can work on this topic for 40 years with no end in sight.
What is Epistemology and What Does it Do?
The word epistemology comes from the Greek words epistēmē (ἐπιστήμη), meaning "knowledge" or "understanding," and logos (λόγος), meaning "study" or "discourse." So, epistemology literally means the study of knowledge. (It's not related to the word 'epistle'; they only share a prefix: epi.)
Epistemologists are philosophers who specialize in epistemology, the branch of philosophy that examines the nature, origins, scope, and limits of knowledge. Their work primarily involves analyzing fundamental questions such as: What constitutes knowledge? How do we distinguish between justified beliefs and mere opinions? What are the sources of knowledge (e.g., perception, reason, memory, or testimony)? And how can we respond to skepticism about whether we can truly know anything at all?
In practice, epistemologists engage in a range of activities:
- They develop theories and arguments about concepts like belief, truth, justification, and evidence. For instance, they might debate whether knowledge requires certainty or if it's possible to have knowledge without absolute proof, often using thought experiments.
- Many epistemologists are academics who lecture at universities, design courses on philosophy of knowledge, and mentor students in critical thinking and logical reasoning.
- They collaborate with fields like cognitive science, artificial intelligence, law, or education to apply epistemological insights, such as evaluating the reliability of eyewitness testimony or the ethics of belief in misinformation eras.
- Overall, their role is more theoretical than practical; they aim to clarify how humans achieve cognitive success (accurate understanding) and avoid failure (false beliefs or ignorance), rather than conducting empirical experiments like scientists.
The Failure of Epistemology
It seems pretty obvious to me that somehow, epistemology has lost its way in the West, at least. There is substantial discussion in recent analyses about a perceived downturn in educational outcomes and knowledge retention in Western countries. For instance, standardized test scores in reading, math, and science have stagnated or fallen in many nations, including the U.S., where national assessments show declines since the 1990s, exacerbated post-COVID. Critics argue this reflects systemic failures: outdated curricula that prioritize standardized testing over critical thinking, inadequate teacher training, and a shift away from core subjects like history and civics. In Europe, similar issues emerge, with reports highlighting school failure linked to socioeconomic disparities and rigid structures that don't adapt to modern needs. Some attribute this to a broader "dumbing down," where rote memorization replaces deep understanding, leading to lower civic knowledge among youth.
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