Understanding Knowledge, Opinion, Belief, and Truth

Opinion, Belief, and Knowledge

Opinion: A subjective assessment about something we cannot be sure of and cannot prove to others.

Belief:

• Hesitant use: When we want to express that we are not sure if what we are talking about is true.
• Assertive use: When we are sure about something, but we don't have enough evidence to prove it.

Knowledge: Knowledge is a belief about something we are sure of, and we can also prove. Therefore, to be able to justify something rationally (give reasons) is the main quality of knowledge.

Theoretical and Practical Knowledge

Theoretical knowledge consists of all the information that describes and explains the natural and social world around us. Practical knowledge is a kind of knowledge oriented to knowing how to act in the world.

Theoretical Knowledge

• Description: It must describe reality and indicate its characteristics.
• Explanation: It tries to understand and clarify why the facts are that way and not otherwise. It tries to explain reality by discovering their cause.
• Prediction: The recognition of the causes allows us to know what will happen in the future.

Truth

Truth Concerning Reality

"Truth of facts": The true facts are the real facts.

Truth Concerning Knowledge

• Truth as correspondence: Considers that a proposition is true when there is a fit between what the proposition expresses and the reality that is concerned.
• Truth as coherence: Considers that a proposition is true if it is not inconsistent with the rest of the accepted propositions, and not by its connection with reality.
• Truth as success: Considers that a proposition is true when it is useful and, therefore, leads to success.

Criteria to Recognize Truth

• Authority: It is accepted as true what has been said by someone or something who or which is considered an expert in a subject or a community leader.
• Evidence: The term "evidence" refers to the special way in which certain facts and propositions are shown, and thus we consider it an "obvious" knowledge.
• Intersubjectivity: This criterion states that our beliefs, to be admitted as true and provide knowledge, must be acceptable to any rational subject.

The Possibility of Knowledge

Dogmatism

The philosophical position which defends that we can acquire objective and universal knowledge and also be absolutely certain about its truth. In addition, it defends the possibility of progressively and continuously expanding our knowledge.

Scepticism

The philosophical position opposed to dogmatism. While moderate scepticism doubts the possibility of firm and sure knowledge, radical scepticism denies the possibility of all kinds of knowledge. Sceptics consider the claim to access firm and sure knowledge as an unachievable desire.

Criticism

A middle point of view between dogmatism and scepticism. Knowledge is possible. However, there is no unquestionable and definitive knowledge. What we think we know must be continually reviewed and criticized to find errors and make continuous corrections.

Relativism

The position that denies the existence of an absolute truth, that is, a truth valid at any time and in any place.

Perspectivism

Although perspectivism has much in common with relativism, there is a crucial difference between them: perspectivism does not deny the theoretical possibility of an absolute truth.