1. Theory of Knowledge

2. Introduction You know a lot by now! Easy access to even more knowledge
Newspapers!‘Alien base found on dark side of the moon’
- Internet!‘Elvis is alive’ websites
Claims made about future all the time

3. ‘There is no likelihood that humans will ever tap the power of the atom’ Robert Millikan, Nobel Prize winner in Physics
‘The atom bomb will never go off and I speak as an expert’ Admiral Leahy, advisor to the US President (1945)
‘I think there will be a world market for 5 computers’ Thomas Watson, founder of IBM (1958)
‘By 2000 women will wear pants, men will wear skirts, both sexes will go bare-chested and clothes will be see-through.’ Rudi Gernreitch. American fashion expert (1970)
‘The internet will never take off.’ Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft (1988)
It isn t just stupid people who get things wrong!
It could be that what you learn in school will not be totally correct
How do you know if something is true?

4. Current estimates are that the universe is 15 billion years old - The earth is 4.55 billion years old
Humans developed about 2 million years ago - These figures are controversial! – most probably wrong
12pm 1 January – and the universe began exactly 1 year ago
1 May – the galaxy formed
9 September – solar system
Few days later the earth was formed (14th)
25 September – life begins
12 November – oldest photosynthetic plants develop
1 December – significant quantity of oxygen in the atmosphere
For the first 8 ½ months there was no earth
For another 2 ½ there was no conceivable way for humans to survive
19 December – fish developed – trees followed soon after (23rd)
24 Decemeber – dinosaurs, mammals 26th
28th December – seems a massive comet hit earth causing major climatic change killing dinosaurs
31 December – humans appeared – all human history happened on the last day of the year
– Renaissance and Industrial Revolution
We (in this room) have existed for a tiny fraction of second, on the last day
How likely is it that we have found out any profound truths about the universe?

5. What is knowledge?
Many people see knowledge as organised common sense – some validity
but often little more than vague & untested beliefs based on prejudice, hearsay and blind appeals to authority
Common sense is a starting point in coping with the world
Mental map of reality – our ideas of T & F, what is reasonable/ unreasonable, right/wrong
However, you should be willing to subject your MM to critical scrutiny

6. Mercator Projection
Distorts relative size – places further from Equator = larger. Africa 4x Greenland
Northern Hemisphere at top – no up or down!
Eurocentric – Pacific?

7. Hobo-Dyer projection – reflects relative sizes
Disorientating! Illustrates grip habitual ways of thinking have on our minds – difficult to break
Common sense mental maps may give us a distorted picture of reality
Ideas & beliefs – own exp, parents, friends, teachers, books, media
Can t check everything – MM - likely inaccuracies, half truths, falsehoods
Customs & conventions – difficult to think outside what we are familiar with
Cultural biases – Greatest writer? Greatest scientist? (GB = Shakespeare, Newton. Italy = Dante, Galileo)
Can we have a perfect map? 1:1 – quickly out of date – to be useful it has to be imperfect
‘the map is not the territory

8. You have 5 minutes to write down things that you “know”.
What do you know?
You have 5 minutes to write down things that you “know”.
If there are problems with our common sense picture should we stick to what we are certain about?
If you know something you are certain it is true
If you believe something you may think it is true, but you are not certain
But, how certain can we ever be?

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

10. What is knowledge?
Can you choose three of the things you “know” that you are least certain of?

11. 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.

12. Where do we get our knowledge from?
Look at your list of things that you „know”. Where and how did you get that knowledge?
They can work on this in groups.

13. How do you know?

14. The sky is blue?

15. Perception
Print his sheet out. Get them to count the leprechauns. Then cut the top half as shown and swap the top halfs – ONE MORE LEPRECHAUN! How?! How safe is our perception of truth?!

16. Perception

17. How many leprechauns?

18. Perception
Tractor Perspective Illusion - Optical Illusion Image Gallery #33

19. 1 + 1 = 2

20. 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

21. 1 + 1 = 2? + =
One pile of sand + one pile of sand = one pile of sand

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

23. I know women are more emotional than men
Is this a knowledge statement?

24. I know I love my brother
How?

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

26. I know the room is hot
How?

27. I know that Mozart was a great composer
How?

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

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

30. I know dogs are disgusting

31. “certainty” I think, therefore I am
Distinguishes knowledge from belief.
Truth without doubt.
Language
Perception
Reason
Emotion
I think, therefore I am 31

32. 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? 32

33. “justified, true belief”
you must believe the knowledge statement
your belief in the knowledge statement has to be true
your true belief has to be justified. 33

34. “justified, true belief”
Requires:
Evidence – reasonable & positive evidence that supports & justifies belief.
Coherence – does this fit with our current understanding?
Can you see any problems with these requirements? 34