Understanding Knowledge and Rationality

What is Knowledge?

Knowledge is justified true belief. To apply the theoretical rationale, the knowledge obtained has the following features:

• Knowledge implies conviction. States of doubt or ignorance do not correspond to those of knowledge. Knowledge requires certainty that ensures safety and having good reason to believe something.
• Knowledge is a belief.
• Knowledge is true. If we believe in something that is false, it cannot be ascertained.
• Knowledge is justified. A belief held without good reasons cannot be considered knowledge.

Attitudes Towards Knowledge

• Ignorance: When it is unknown whether a statement is true or false.
• Doubt: If one is not totally convinced of something.
• Conviction: When one is certain of something.

Critical Thinking

Critical thinking rationally analyzes all thoughts and beliefs, unlike the uncritical acceptance often seen in the general population. Part of scientific skepticism is to not accept any beliefs that have failed laboratory tests and the experiments of the scientific method. Both critical thinking and scientific skepticism are associated with rationality.

Practical Rationality

Practical rationality is the seeking and choosing of the best actions to achieve a purpose. In every action, there are alternatives presented and desires that each individual has. These can be categorized as:

• Possibilities: Opportunities.
• Desires: Purposes.

Purpose: Goals, desires, and objectives that have been set.

Means: All actions being made to achieve that end.

Rational Choice

Rational choice is the selection of the most appropriate actions to achieve an end. Rationality for shares is the choice of the most appropriate means, with a view to an end. More rational actions are those that lead to the most appropriate path to the intended goal.

Rationality

Rationality: The use of reason to choose the best words or actions more appropriate.

• Theoretical rationality: The use of reason when choosing the best reasons why a statement is considered true.
• Practical rationality: The use of reason when choosing the most appropriate means to achieve a particular objective.

Statements and Propositions

Statements and propositions: Sentences are statements that affirm or deny anything; they can be true or false.

• Analytical propositions or truths of reason: Formal and abstract statements that do not refer directly to the world. They are truths that need not be contrasted with reality.
• Examples: Definitions, axioms, mathematical and logical truths.
• Synthetic propositions or truths of fact: They are concrete knowledge about the world and need to be tested against reality.

Truth as Identity

In analytical propositions, it is not necessary to verify if the proposition is true by inspecting the world.

• Principle of identity: When we say that something is one thing, it is called a tautology.
• Principle of non-contradiction: One cannot say that something is and is not at the same time and on the same issue.