What is Knowledge?

In this session, let’s discuss one of the most fundamental questions in philosophy: What is genuine knowledge? Of all the things we can think, of all the stuff out there in the world, of all the truths of the universe, which, exactly, count as knowledge? This question is not at all irrelevant: questions about what counts as knowledge have driven important issues, from natural rights to the Scopes Monkey trial to modern day “fake news.”

Let’s contemplate this question together and see if we can arrive at a good definition. For some food for thought, I’m pointing you to a good chapter in Bertrand Russell’s short book The Problems of Philosophy. We’ll also discuss some other major philosophers who’ve had things to say about knowledge, including Descartes, Hume, and Kant (see below for a good site on Hume).

Russell:
[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KhBvYgU0avIwanThOPGf9D82JCABtLoVydp64vKihgI/edit?usp=sharing ](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KhBvYgU0avIwanThOPGf9D82JCABtLoVydp64vKihgI/edit?usp=sharing)
or
[https://www.ditext.com/russell/rus13.html ](https://www.ditext.com/russell/rus13.html)

Note: when he says “knowledge by acquaintance,” he’s referring to the direct “knowledge” you have from your immediate perceptions/sensations (ex. If I’m looking at my cat, I have “knowledge by acquaintance” about the color and shape of my cat, and maybe its smell, sounds, etc)

And here’s a good website on some of Hume’s ideas:
[https://factmyth.com/humes-fork-explained/ ](https://factmyth.com/humes-fork-explained/)

Happy Thinking!