Smoky Mountain Bible Institute
(Est. 2009) Lesson #64
As we begin
our walk through Philosophy, I am going to try to break it up into bite-sized
chunks to make it a little more understandable. Let’s start with epistemology.
So, in good Lutheran fashion… “What does this mean?”
The word “epistemology”
comes from the Greek “episteme” (knowledge),
and “logos” (words/study of). So,
epistemology is “the study of knowledge”; more specifically, the nature and
scope of knowledge. Epistemology examines what knowledge is, how it can be acquired, and the extent to which it is pertinent
to any given subject or entity. Epistemology is about issues having to do with
the creation and dissemination of knowledge in particular areas of inquiry. We
can thank Scottish philosopher James Frederick Ferrier for coining the term.
Defining Knowledge
is a tricky thing, as we can see in this quote from Donald Rumsfeld from a
number of years back. “…there are known
knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known
unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But
there are also unknown unknowns -- the ones we don't know we don't know.”
But defining knowledge epistemologically is actually a little bit easier.
There is a
large list of words associated with any specialized are of study including psychology,
but at the risk of oversimplifying it I will break it into four general
categories and try to avoid using lot of jargon.
The four categories are:
·
Knowledge that we have, that has been verified
or justified.
·
Knowledge which explains how that justified
knowledge functions.
·
Knowledge of a person, place or thing.
(These first three are defined by
some as Knowledge that, Knowledge how, and Knowledge of)
·
Skepticism. (Which, in essence, calls into
question the existence and validity of the process that postulates the above
three categories, and is one of the first of many “isms” contained in
psychology.)
Maybe an
example will help us get our minds around this topic. We can have the first kind of knowledge about any simple
mathematical formula (like 2+2=4).
Understanding how addition works, to provide this verified piece of knowledge
would be knowledge of the second type.
Knowing how to bake a cake or a build a bookcase or drive a car would also fit
into this second category. However knowing
a mathematician who taught you how to do this math or the place of education,
or for that matter, anyone, or anyplace you are acquainted with is knowledge of
the third type. For further example let’s
look at driving a vehicle:
·
Knowledge that people can drive vehicles.
·
Knowledge of how to drive a vehicle.
·
Knowledge of a driver and a vehicle, and a road
on which to drive it.
The final category is not really an area or type of
knowledge as much as it is an assumption or process. Skepticism questions the validity of some or all human knowledge.
Skepticism does not apply to one specific type of philosophy, rather it is a
thread that runs through many philosophical discussions of epistemology. The
first well known skeptic was Socrates who claimed that his only knowledge was
that he knew nothing with certainty. Descartes most famous inquiry into mind
and body also began as an exercise in skepticism. He began by questioning the
validity of all knowledge and looking for some fact that was irrefutable; in so
doing, came to his famous dictum: “I
think, therefore I am.”
I find it interesting that the
Greek word mentioned earlier for knowledge has the same root as the Greek word
for faith or belief. When we as Christians speak of salvation, our faith exists
only because the Holy Spirit enlightens us. However, there are also many good
forms of epistemological knowledge which we can also refer to when presenting
that faith to others. For example, while I cannot claim to have first-hand
knowledge of my savior I can point to reliable first-hand biblical accounts. I
can also point to a half-dozen other reliable historical accounts that confirm Jesus
Christ is who He claimed to be and did what He said He would do. While I may
not fully know how Christ suffered
and died for me I can still know that He did. You do not have to know how to
drive to know that people can drive.
We can certainly be acquainted with many people, places and things that serve
to affirm and strengthen our faith. But finally, we must always be ready to
answer the skeptic. As Paul says in His first letter to Peter, “be ready to
give an answer for the hope that you have”. See you next month when we will
tackle the topic of metaphysics.
In Christ,
Pastor Portier
