Re: dhw--Epistemological Framework (Belief) (Humans)

by dhw, Monday, January 31, 2011, 11:22 (4853 days ago) @ xeno6696

MATT: dhw, I accept the reformulated definitions for knowledge and belief, I agree they are ostensibly clear and different from each other. However, reading through the post (Jan 24 20:07) I'm not sure what you're presenting here. If it is simply the "types" of belief and knowledge we deal with, I can accept these. If however, you're moving to something deeper, I'm unaware of what you intend.-Delighted that we've reached agreement on defining knowledge and belief, and that we can also round off our evolutionary thread (for the time being, at any rate). Yes indeed, the role of devil's advocate is a crucial one, and I do appreciate your playing it.-What I presented, or tried to present, in my post of 24 January is an epistemological framework! You opened this thread because you felt ... quite rightly in my view ... that not having such a framework was the cause of many disagreements. You then enumerated "what I consider to be knowledge, and my hierarchy of rank". I disagreed with most of what you wrote, and so we embarked on a step-by-step construction of the framework, beginning with definitions that would distinguish between truth, knowledge and belief. The 24 Jan. post contains a number of points that I consider to be vital to such a framework ... for instance, I reject the concept of a hierarchy in discussions such as ours, and I lay emphasis on the subjectivity involved in evaluating information, both of which continue to cause disagreements. I'm about to post a comment on the excellent exchange between David and yourself on the Robots thread, which is directly related to these two elements of the framework. Our various discussions on evolution require a strict division between knowledge and belief, and all too frequently this division is blurred by those who have a personal agenda.-My 24 January post is not, therefore, moving towards anything deeper. The frame is not the picture! However, I don't expect it to be complete, and I don't expect all my comments to be acceptable to everyone, which is why I thought it would lead to further discussion. But if you're happy with it as it stands, I shall give myself a little pat on the back, and next time someone confuses knowledge with belief, or takes his own hierarchies for granted, I shall only have to murmur: twenty-four-one-eleven. Except, of course, that you Americans would say one-twenty-four-eleven. No wonder we can never understand each other!