Friday, September 28, 2018

Deconstructing Justified True Belief

Two assertions of knowledge:

1. I know how to spell the word "know".
2. I know my dad is my biological father.

The first is known with certainty, therefore is knowledge. The second includes a degree of uncertainty, therefore is a justified true belief which may or may not be true.

The corrected statements:

1. I know how to spell the word "know".
2. I truly believe my dad is my biological father.

Epistemological Certainty - Knowledge and Justified True Belief are two completely different things.

Fixing Justified True Belief

Proposition P is an uncertainty.

An agent S "truly believes" that a proposition P is true if and only if agent S is justified in believing that P is true, else proposition P is not rational.

Justification

Justification must be that of a real system.

The real system of Mom, Dad, and you:

Mom: I know your Dad is your biological father.
Dad: I truly believe I am your biological father.
JTB: I truly believe my dad is my biological father.

The real system of Christopher Columbus:

I know of many sources.
JTB: I truly believe Christopher Columbus existed when it is said he did.<

The real system of the Gettier Problem:

President to Smith: Jones is getting the job.
Smith to self: I truly believe the President.
President to Smith: You got the job.

Conclusion

Justified True Belief is not sufficient for knowledge.

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