What is knowledge? How do I know when I know something? That seems a straight forward question. I know my address, the name of my children, and the current year.
Simple.
But the question can quickly grow more complex. How do I know about the Civil War? I have read about it. But I also have read about UFOs, about ghosts, and about ancient Mayan gods. So while I might have a certain confidence in the existence of the Civil War of the United States, I might view with skepticism UFOs, ghosts and Mayan gods.
Thus, the existence of many written words about a subject does not provide a clear basis for knowing that I know something. My knowing that I know something involves a justification for that knowledge.
This brings us to what philosophers offer as a traditional, precise definition of knowledge, namely that knowledge is justified, true belief. In this definition, I know something if 1) it is indeed true, 2) I actually belief it to be true and 3) I have a justification for believing that it is true.
So, while I might believe in a God, and feel justified in that belief based on my prayer, study and personal experiences, a philosopher might not say I have knowledge, since significant questions may exist as to whether God does in fact exist.
Similarly, I might believe in UFOs, and UFOs might really exist, but I might think I know that UFOs exist based on blurry pictures of lights in the night sky. Thus many may say I am not justified in my belief.
What might proper knowledge look like? Let’s say on your vacation you visited the Washington monument in Washington D.C. Upon your return you told me that 1) you visited a famous monument in the Capital city of the United States, 2) the monument had the same name as the city and 3) the monument was shaped like a tall obelisk.
Even without your explicitly telling me, I would (most likely) have knowledge, in the philosophical sense, that you visited the Washington monument near the ellipse in Washington, D.C. I would say that based on my meeting the definition of knowledge, as follows:
- It is true you visited the Washington Monument.
- I believe you visited the Washington Monument.
