The Biggest Lie About Knowledge (You Probably Believe)

The knowledge problem

🔍 Key insights

• The Traditional View of Knowledge – Plato defined knowledge as Justified True Belief (JTB), requiring belief, truth, and justification.

• The Gettier Problem – Gettier’s thought experiments showed that justified true belief (JTB) can be met by coincidence, proving it insufficient for true knowledge.

• A Practical Approach to Knowledge – Instead of seeking certainty, we should aim for reasonable assurance, staying open to new information.

📚 Go deeper

🎥 Related videos:

• Epistemology: Introduction to Theory of Knowledge

• The Meaning of Knowledge: Crash Course Philosophy #7

📖 Further reading:

• Plato’s Theaetetus – One of the earliest dialogues where Plato wrestles with the nature of knowledge and whether perception counts as knowledge.

• Edmund Gettier’s “Is Justified True Belief Knowledge?” (1963) – The groundbreaking paper that shook the study of knowledge (epistemology) and led to new theories.

💡 Think for Yourself

• If knowledge isn’t just justified true belief (JTB), what does it take to truly “know” something?

• Should we trust our beliefs, or always be open to revision?

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Cheers,
Kevin