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Posted: May 31, 2012

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Do we KNOW anything?

Forums > Community > Philosophy & Religion

~twristan May 31, 2012 Student Traditional Artist

Think about it for a second.

In front of you is a screen. How do you know it's there? "Why, I can touch it. And I can feel it. And when I look in the mirror, my eyes are red because I see the screen too much." That's all very well, good sir, but turn around. Now you cannot touch it, you cannot feel it, and you cannot see it. Once again, how do you know it's there?

With women, they just supposedly know things. There's even a term for it -- woman's intuition. But intuition can be applied to anyone at any time. Can you know something without being able to substantiate proof?

Baseball players, basketball players, tennis players, football players, soccer players, they are all athletes. Are NASCAR drivers athletes? How do we know what things are associated with what words?

If we go by this criteria for something to be considered knowledge:

1) The proposition is true.
2) I believe the proposition is true.
3) I have good reason to believe the proposition is true.
4) I have no good reasons to believe the proposition is false.

And if all criteria have to be filled, then the question arises: Do we KNOW anything?

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~skulkey Jun 6, 2012 Hobbyist Digital Artist

questioning your own grammar whilst criticizing mine.

~banana-muppet Jun 6, 2012

Nope, it would be irony if I made a spelling mistake without questioning it. That's why I was confused.

(1 Reply)

~Tinoculars Jun 5, 2012 Professional Interface Designer

I don't know.

~The-2nd-Philosopher Jun 5, 2012

Four words: Cogito Ergo Sum Bitch

In addition I am also aware of the various sense-data that I percieve so I know for a fact that the sense-data exists.

`saintartaud Jun 1, 2012 Professional General Artist

To paraphrase Socrates: I know that I know nothing.

=KnightAlmighty Jun 5, 2012

Perfect response.

~TheAwsomeOpossum Jun 1, 2012

"Once again, how do you know it's there?"
Thus, you have discovered philosophical skepticism!

We can't fully and wholely prove anything is there. In fact, we can't even show the probability that anything is anywhere. The only thing, we can assume, is that we ourselves exist (though in what form, we cannot tell).

However, there is something important to consider: Is it worth living a life where you can't trust your senses?

To me, the answer would be no. I must be able to trust my senses to a large degree, and life must be, at least mostly, not an illusion. That helps make my life worthwhile, and life being worthwhile is more important to me than having proof for everything.

Of course, there will be a lot of disagreements on that issue, so don't necessarily trust all people to believe that

.

"Can you know something without being able to substantiate proof? "
Of course. Well actually, it depends. Can we know something of a surety, without any input whatsoever? No. Can we know it, with some unclassified and undocumented sense? Definitely, though, rather controversial at best.

"How do we know what things are associated with what words?"

Good question. I like to classify this whole issue as 'Disagreements about Definition and Classification. It's the whole problem of people disagreeing what a word is linked to; what it means, and what it's a part of. A lot of problems in the world (I'm not sure all yet though, I'm thinking I'm missing something) can be classified as either a disagreement of definition, or a disagreement of classification... because definition and classification perhaps aren't these big, undeniable, and objective things, necessarily.

"Do we KNOW anything?"

Not according to those criteria; there is almost always a good reason to believe a proposition false, or reason to believe the proposition true in every scenario

.

I prefer a simpler maxim:

"Are you willing to take responsibility for what you believe in being right or wrong?"

If they say yes, then they can believe what they want. But they must take responsibility for being right or wrong. They must swallow their words wholely.

Alas, again, most people won't like that maxim

.

Awesome topic, btw!
-TAO

~xTernal7 Jun 1, 2012 Hobbyist General Artist

Baseball players, basketball players, tennis players, football players, soccer players, they are all athletes. Are NASCAR drivers athletes? How do we know what things are associated with what words?

We learn definitions of the commonly used words, and thus we know them. Definitions are truth (We're ignoring definitions in mythology/fiction here), and by knowing definitions we know which things are associated with which words.

That's all very well, good sir, but turn around. Now you cannot touch it, you cannot feel it, and you cannot see it. Once again, how do you know it's there?
Before turning around, I check whether thing is able to move on its own without our interference/interference of a certain thing we know. If it can't, then I can safely claim that screen is still there.

~EnuoCale May 31, 2012 Hobbyist Writer

We know that 1+1=2.

~skulkey Jun 5, 2012 Hobbyist Digital Artist

i happen to know it equals 3-1.

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