Epistemology

There has always been a point in history of Western philosophy when the definition of knowledge had been redefined, debated upon, and rejected. However, many philosophers were more concerned with the essence of knowledge, that is, what does constitute as knowledge and how we can achieve it. In addition, many argue that there are certain knowledge is just not attainable and human mind wouldn’t be able to grasp on the capacity of the higher truths. Nevertheless, one still can question the…

In Montaigne’s essay An Apology for Raymond Sebond, he defends the work and philosophy of Sebond, which he defines as a “bold and courageous” defense of the Christian religion using natural, human reason, meant to counter atheists (Montaigne 491). Objections arose to this work, and the one Montaigne approaches more thoroughly is that Sebond is wrong overall in his defense of faith, and that faith is not necessary in the acquisition of knowledge about worldly matters (Montaigne 500-501). This…

The desire to get what one wants is a natural characteristics that the human race possesses. We want things now and we are not afraid to make it known. Often we can provide certain things for ourselves like clothes, food, and shelter but there also things that require persuading someone in order to obtain something we need, like buying car or purchasing a home, but one must be able to negotiate in order to obtain one’s target point especially when dealing with money, which can make interpersonal…

As Anghileri (2006) indicates, the way mathematics is taught has had to change. The main influence for this change has been the shift in what the 21st century society demands of its students. Previously, knowledge acquisition was viewed as the most important part of being a maths student, however in the 21st century, various skill sets and understanding is more desirable than reciting facts and figures, especially now that technology can recite fact and figures in more detail, faster and with…

Russell argues that humans use their experience of sense data to perceive objects such as tables. However, according to Russell, if tables did not exist then the “outer world would be a dream”. He goes on to argue that “we alone exists” and nothing we experience is real in our ordinary senses. As a result, he says that it cannot be proved that we are dreaming alone in a desert however, there is no reason for supporting that this is the case. In respect to dreams, I will argue that the world in…

Both Fricker and Mills, in Epistemic Injustice and White Ignorance, respectfully, take on opposing stances on who is truly impacted and suffers an epistemic disadvantage in the instance of certain injustices. Fricker takes on the position that due to hermeneutical injustice, the oppressed are those who suffer an epistemic disadvantage. On the contrary, Mills argues that it is not the oppressed that suffer an epistemic disadvantage but rather the oppressors. This argument can be substantiated for…

Always Trust Your Gut Instinct One of my most passionate beliefs is, “trust your gut.” Let your intuition (or as some of us call it, “our sixth sense”) guide you. If the thought of doing something does not feel right, don’t do it. As I grew older, it became more and more clear to me that the internal feeling I had about something seemed to always be right. This was not something I learned from any person of religious aspect in life. This is something I learned though experience (kicking myself…

In this paper I will be defending Plato’s style of philosophy and why philosopher kings are best suited to rule, this will also encompass the Forms as it is key to understanding why they are the best suited. Plato uses his Forms to further his knowledge of the difference between people whom he would consider to be true philosophers and people whom he would refer to simply as intellectuals. Plato affirms that a philosopher is best suited to say how people should live based upon the knowledge that…

The dialogue of Theaetetus, written by the Greek philosopher Plato, discusses the idea of knowledge with the help of Socrates, Theaetetus and Theodorus. The question of What is Knowledge, is proposed by Socrates, who then aids Theaetetus in making this discovery. Theaetetus comes up with three possible hypotheses, one after another that are as follows: (I) Knowledge is perception, (II) knowledge is true judgement, and (III) knowledge is true judgement with logos. While Socrates helps in the…

“A paranoid is someone who knows little of what’s going on” (William S. Burroughs). This quote by William S. Burroughs describes Piglet, a small and frightened character from Winnie-the-Pooh, perfectly. More often than not, Piglet is remembered for his paranoia, but where does his paranoia stem from? Piglet is also often found walking Pooh through thoughts and actions with a series of questions, but why does he decide this is the best way to teach Pooh about the world? Piglet is derived from two…