R. Moyer Fall 2008

Justified True Belief… …but, what does that mean? R. Moyer Fall 2008

Random TOK Stuff  List 5 things that you know…  Now…explain how you know them?  Compare your list with others’… ….do you really know them? R. Moyer Fall 2008

The Problem of Knowing R. Moyer Fall 2008

 Not static  Has a history that changes over time  Yesterday’s revolution in thought > today’s common sense > tomorrow’s superstition R. Moyer Fall 2008

Contradicting Beliefs R. Moyer Fall 2008

Astronomy Astrology

Dinosaurs 65 million years ago Humans and Dinosaurs together

Art? Junk?

Particulars…. Reflection Journals Think Questions R. Moyer Fall 2008

 Most people do not think that there is a problem of knowledge.  Knowledge is nothing more than organized common sense. R. Moyer Fall 2008

 Common sense consists of little more than vague and untested beliefs  Based on such things as Prejudice Hearsay Blind appeals to authority R. Moyer Fall 2008

 Map of reality that includes our ideas of What is true and what is false What is reasonable and what is unreasonable What is right and what is wrong  Only a fool would “rip up” the map, but you should be willing to subject it to critical scrutiny. R. Moyer Fall 2008

 Think of as many different ways as you can in which the world map shown is Inaccurate Based on arbitrary conventions Culturally biased  Do you think it would be possible to make a perfect map of a city?  What would such a map look like?  How useful would it be? R. Moyer Fall 2008

 Distorts relative size of land masses Areas further from the equator seem larger Africa is in reality 14 times larger than Greenland  Based on the notion that the northern hemisphere is on top No label saying this way up  Eurocentric Exaggerates size In the middle R. Moyer Fall 2008

 Accurately reflects relative sizes  Distorts their shape  Inverts positioning  Pacific center R. Moyer Fall 2008

Why? R. Moyer Fall 2008

WRITERSCIENTIST  Shakespeare  Dante  Newton  Galileo R. Moyer Fall 2008

If a map is to be useful, then it must of necessity be imperfect. R. Moyer Fall 2008

 La trahison des images 1928–29 by Belgian Surrealist painter René Magritte  As Magritte himself commented: "The famous pipe. How people reproached me for it! And yet, could you stuff my pipe? No, it’s just a representation, is it not? So if I had written on my picture ‘This is a pipe,’ I’d have been lying!" R. Moyer Fall 2008

What are clear and unambiguous definitions of the terms? What are the differences in the relationships between the terms? truth knowledgeunderstanding informationwisdom

 Typed  2 pages double-spaced  Times New Roman font (12)  1 inch margins  Make sure that you support your analysis with concrete evidence and information from our discussions on the Problem of Knowing R. Moyer Fall 2008

 List five things that you don’t know but would like to know.  Which item on your list will you: Never know? Probably never know? Probably know at some point? Definitely know at some point? R. Moyer Fall 2008

 Schooling?  Other forms of authority (books, film, etc.)?  Experience?  Observation?  Reasoning?  Practice?  Religious means?  Any other means? R. Moyer Fall 2008

 Group work—try to agree on a equivalent list for the human race. What should the human race strive to know? Are there any forms of knowledge for which the human race should not strive? R. Moyer Fall 2008

 Language  Perception  Reason  Emotion Look at your list of 5 …can you link to the WOK?  Faith??? R. Moyer Fall 2008

 No such thing as absolute truth that exists in an objective way independent of what anyone happens to believe is true.  Truth is relative and may be different for different individuals or for different cultures. NPR Chinese girlfriend caller  “True for me” or “false for you”  All points of view are of equal value The Earth is round? R. Moyer Fall 2008

 If it’s true for “them” …they believe it’s true  Santa Claus  “All truth is relative.” --Contradictory R. Moyer Fall 2008

 Judgment Balance of skepticism with open-mindedness  Gullibility Weekly World Report Tabloids  Skepticism Just because and idea does not fit our currently accepted theories does not necessarily mean that it is wrong. R. Moyer Fall 2008

 Evidence Positive evidence Argument ad ignorantiam—the fact that you can’t prove that something isn't true does nothing to show that it is true. Confirmation Bias—finding evidence that supports our beliefs  Coherence Does it fit in with our current understanding of things. R. Moyer Fall 2008