Is knowledge justified true belief? If not, what is it?

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Charlotte Matthews

Self, Mind and Body

1/12/08

1) “Is knowledge justified true belief?  If not, what is it?”

Epistemology is amongst the most important and most debated areas of Philosophy; Defining knowledge itself has proved to be one of the most pressing problems. Knowledge has often been described as ‘justified true belief;’ This tradition can be observed to have been applied as far back as the times of Plato, and claims that there are three criteria that must be satisfied in order for an individual to possess knowledge. This is known as the tripartite theory of knowledge. Following the requirements of this theory, if we believe something, have justification for such a belief, and it is true, then our belief is knowledge.

The allegory of a ladder aptly describes the logic behind the tripartite theory of knowledge; the bottom of the ladder representing ignorance, and the top, knowledge. A belief must overcome each rung of the ladder, thus bringing it closer to knowledge. The first step is an unjustified belief. At the next step, the belief becomes justified, but may still prove to be true or false and therefore cannot constitute knowledge. The next step is an unjustified true belief; hereby truth has been found but there is no reasoning behind it. The last stage, when accomplished, establishes a justified true belief. The believer knows their belief to be true and has justification for this; hence the believer has achieved knowledge. This seems logical and straightforward, but it is debatable as to whether this can really be praised with describing the full extent of what knowledge is.

Gettier most notably expanded upon why this theory is slightly dubious by pointing out that a justified true belief may not actually be what we would commonly refer to as knowledge by pointing out a number of examples of justified true beliefs that were not knowledge. Thus, it would seem, the tripartite theory, fails. However, by expanding upon the notions of truth and justification it might be possible for find some way of agreeing with the tripartite theory post Gettier.

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On the basis of the tripartite theory, to be considered true knowledge, a belief must be justifiable.  If we take the meaning of a justifiable belief to be one we are ‘within our rights of holding’ we must question our justification for such a conclusion. Therefore, it must surely call the benefits of defining a belief as ‘justifiable’ into question, that is to say, it leads us to consider whether ‘justifiable’ is really a term worthy of a rung on the allegorical ladder to true knowledge. It also means that, in fact, any justifications we might propose in search ...

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