"Vision". The eye can symbolize the act of perception and the process of gaining knowledge through observation and experience. It often appears in metaphors like "the eye of the mind" or "the eye of reason."

Epistemology Discussion

Dear Reader,

It’s time for the next topic of discussion… Epistemology.

What is Epistemology?

This philosophical discipline focuses on the different theories of knowledge. How it is gained and perceived. Comparing different approaches and styles. And how people generally justify their beliefs. But first, what is knowledge?

Knowledge is a justified true belief. A belief that is produced by reliable cognitive processes (Reliabilism) or a coherent system of beliefs that mutually support each other (Coherentism).

Knowledge is gained from various sources including perception, reason, and intuition. These sources of knowledge are typically driven by either logic or experience. Epistemology dives into this in further detail talking about the sources of knowledge, potential problems with it (Skepticism) and how we justify our beliefs.

My Two Cents…

This topic strikes a cord with me when I consider the current state of media consumption in the United States (and likely around the world…). Now more than ever, the validity of information presented to us is brought into question. With elections around the corner and the current state of geopolitics, things are bound to get even more convoluted. What can Epistemology do to help navigate this?

Unfortunately, I don’t see this as being a tool to help with the feeling of overwhelming skepticism some people may hold… BUT, we can use Epistemology as a means of understanding one another and bridging some of the societal gaps that are seemingly ever expanding.

This discipline ties in with how people are hardwired to perceive and process information. Some of us are rational, while others are emotional. Sometimes, we rely on our intuition, that gut feeling that we know in our heart of hearts something is true. At times, we may trust the testimony of a trusted source of information. The reality is, we are subject to all elements of Epistemology. If you have ever taken a personality test (e.g., Myers-Briggs Type Indicator) you will find though you may heavily favor certain traits, you still exhibit elements of everything. What does this mean?

We can find commonality with other people and try to diffuse some of the anger which has been building in our country.

Our sources of information can be different. How we see and process the world around us varies wildly from person to person. But if we try to walk a mile in another person’s shoes, we can reduce some of the animosity we may have been feeling. If we better understand someone and how they operate, we can communicate with them more easily. So I encourage you to study up on Epistemology. See how others may receive, perceive, and process their knowledge. Through this, we can hopefully share other sources of information with each other and we can once again return to a more normal state of affairs. Not that everyone will be holding hands and singing “Kumbaya”… But hopefully we can return to reasonable civil discourse.

The new Epistemology page has been added to StoicBlog.org – Philosophical Disciplines – Epistemology!

Thank you so much for you time and patience and I look forward to learning and growing with you!

Let’s use Epistemology to see how others may receive, perceive, and process their knowledge so that we might return to reasonable civil discourse. – Mathetes

If you’re interested in learning a little more about philosophy and Epistemology in particular, a resource I have found beneficial is the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Hyperlinked is their take on Epistemology. The page provides a wealth of information about the field including resources and references..

Please leave a comment, and let me know what you think. Let me know how I can improve my website, writing, share topics of interest with me, etc. I would love to hear from you!