1. Welcome to Humanities
Study of the major philosophical/religious systems of humankind
Study of mankind’s attempts to explain existence.
How individuals justify/prove what they know, what they think that they know, and what they believe.

2. What is knowledge?

3. You have 5 minutes to write down some things that you “know”.
What do you know?
You have 5 minutes to write down some things that you “know”.

4. What is knowledge?
Of the things you know, can you pick 3 things of which you are certain?

5. Belief/knowledge continuum
Unlikely Probable
Impossible Possible Certain
Expalin that your knowledge can be placed on this continuum. You could possibly get them to place their own “knowledge” on the line.

6. Let’s look at some knowledge claims
Let’s look at some knowledge claims. The following claims are some examples of the types of claims that people make. Do you find anything problematic about these claims?

7. The sky is blue?

8. Sense Perception
Tractor Perspective Illusion - Optical Illusion Image Gallery #33

9. 1 + 1 = 2?
In base 2, = 10
104
103
102
101
100
10-1
10-2
10-3 1 5 25 24 23 22 21 20
2-1
2-2
2-3

10. 1 + 1 = 2? + =
One pile of sand + one pile of sand = one pile of sand

11. I know my name is _______

12. I know my name is _______

13. I know I went for a walk yesterday
Can you trust your memory? Have you seen the Matrix?!

14. I know the names of the planets.

15. I know I love chocolate
How?

16. I know that a lake is more beautiful than a sewage works
How?

17. I know the room is hot
How?

18. I know that life is hard.

19. I know that I speak English.

20. I know there is life after death
Could you?

21. I know there is a God
Good one this!

22. I know dogs are disgusting

23. From where do we get our knowledge?
Look at your list of things that you know. Where and how did you get that knowledge?
They can work on this in groups.

24. “certainty” I think, therefore I am
Distinguishes knowledge from belief.
Truth without doubt.
Language
Perception
Reason
Emotion
I think, therefore I am 24

25. I know Santa Claus exists
“relativism”
No absolute objective truth
Knowledge is relative to the individual,
culture or society
I knew the Earth was flat
I know Santa Claus exists
This may be safer for ethics, politics & religion.
But what about maths and science? 25

26. “objectivity” “objectivism”
The state or quality of being true outside of an individual’s perspective, biases, imagination, feelings and interpretation. 26

27. Empiricism-Knowledge gained from experience and your senses
Is empirical knowledge always accurate/correct?