Epistemology: The Study of Knowledge

Philosophy has made a mark on humans even before the term was coined. Ever since man had the capacity to think, he has always questioned himself on the origins of himself and the earth. When man finally began learning, man's knowledge of the universe and his surroundings slowly began increasing.

Humans appeared on earth approximately two million years ago, and while we have made significant progress in these two million years, can we say confidently that we KNOW the universe?

Do we have complete knowledge on the workings of nature?

We can predict a tornado or a flash flood only minutes before they occur. Earthquakes on the other hand cannot be predicted at all. No scientist has ever been able to predict an earthquake. However, it is possible now to calculate the PROBABILITY of an earthquake's occurrence, but it's not the same as predicting it. Dormant volcanoes are entirely unpredictable, as is seen in the case of Mt. Vesuvius in Pompeii.

In philosophy, there is a whole branch dedicated to the study of knowledge, in which philosophers study the nature, origin and scope of knowledge.

EPISTEMOLOGY

The word "epistemology", first appeared in the "Eclectic Magazine", in the year 1847. The word is derived from the greek word "episteme" meaning "knowledge".

Epistemology is an important branch of philosophy, with the other three important branches being metaphysics, logic and ethics. It is concerned with humans' perception of knowledge. Knowing things, people and activities is not differentiated easily in the English language, however in other languages such as Romanian, Spanish, Portuguese etc. Therefore, when "knowing something" and "to know something" is different in a language, there lies a certain distinction between these term philosophically too.

Epistemology is based on four main principles. These principles are:

1.  The philosophical analysis of the nature of knowledge, including truth and justification.
2. Sources of knowledge and belief, such as perception, memory, testimony and reason.
3. Thoughts that question the existence of knowledge.
4. The foundation for justifying a certain occurrence

The father of epistemology is considered to be Rene Descartes.

 

 Rene Descartes was born in the year 1596, and was a philosopher, mathematician and scientist. He is considered to be the father of modern philosophy, which included epistemology. He was an innovative scientific thinker, and an original metaphysician.

Previously, geometry and algebra were segregated into different branches of mathematics, which Descartes grouped into the field now known as 'analytical geometry'. 

Descartes firmly believed in God, and often argued against others to prove God's existence. 

For some time, Descartes moved to Stockholm to help the Queen of Sweden help establish an academy of science, where he succumbed to pneumonia and died in the year 1650.

Bertrand Russell, was another important figure in epistemology. He was born in the year 1872, and was a mathematician, philosopher and logician.

He was also one of the founders of analytical philosophy alongside Gottlob Frege, G.E. Moore and Ludwig Wittgenstein. G.E. Moore and Russell also led a "revolt against idealism". 

One of his most prominent articles, "On Denoting" and his book "Problems of Philosophy", struck a chord with the subject of philosophy.

His contribution to epistemology was of the distinction he established between propositional knowledge and knowledge by acquaintance.

He succumbed to the flu and passed away in 1970.

These are some of the great contributors to the study of knowledge. All mankind can hope is that more such great thinkers who shall make a mark on society shall appear ad open our eyes to the endless possibilities of the universe.

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