Comparing The Epistemologies Of Plato's And Patricia Hill Collins

As an educator, one who imparts knowledge, it is important that I investigate knowledge through an epistemological lense by questioning its content, source, and nature. In addition, I need to question not only the content of the knowledge that is considered truth, but also the validation process of arriving at that truth. I need to ask how I know? What does it mean to say something is true and what is the genesis of that truth? For the purpose of this essay, I will discuss the epistemologies of Plato’s and Patricia Hill Collins to include the validation process, the dimensions by which knowledge is gained, and the implications for education. In addition I will argue that experience is a form of knowledge. Plato’s epistemological beliefs are grounded in the idea that knowledge (truth) is given by the gods and that man only needs to access it through reminiscence. He does not believe that experience produces knowledge. In Plato Republic (1988), Plato utilizes the …show more content…
When the descendants of Sally Hemmings claimed Thomas Jefferson, fathered them, their knowledge based on the experience of Sally Hemmings was dismissed until DNA testing produced absolute truth that validated that Jefferson did father children with a slave. The experience of the relationship between Hemmings and Jefferson was exposed before the manifestation of descendants. Furthermore, Collins would contend that when the Philosopher King went back into the cave after his intellectual enlightenment, his knowledge of how to get back to the cave was based on something other than the Sun because he did not see the Sun to know until he was outside of the cave. How could the Philosopher King have known how to travel back inside other than by experience? In my opinion this is strong evidence to suggest that knowledge can be gained through