Do I really know something?
Philosophers generally agree that knowledge is “JUSTIFIED TRUE BELIEFS.” You have an idea that can be determined true or false (proposition), and then if you can justify why your idea is true, you have knowledge.
However, justifying your belief is not always easy. I am in my room, which has no windows. I guess that it is rainy outside, which happens to be true. My justification for this knowledge is GUESSING. Everybody agrees that guessing is not a proper method of justification. I agree with this general idea. So, what is a valid way to justify my beliefs? I do not want to go too far as skepticism or solipsism argues. I also do not think that I am being deceived by Descartes’ demons, or that I am just a brain in a vat. But still, I have no absolute background to support my beliefs. Am I caught in the trap devised by Descartes?
The argument by skepticism, I think, is very strong and hard to beat. But I need to move on. Even though it may sound unphilosophical, I assume the following beliefs to be true and regard them as starting points for my thoughts.
- I do not doubt my existence. It does not matter even if I am just a brain in a vat. I live my life, which is the only one for me.
- The material world exists. It has nothing to do with an act of my consciousness. Material objects exist regardless of my existence or even God’s existence.
- I also believe that others have minds like mine. The human sense organs are generally reliable. I agree that senses are not perfect, but with testing and verification, sense data can be regarded as reliable.
With these, I can start to justify my beliefs. It seems that my knowledge system is like science. Generally, scientific data can be regarded as knowledge, and the scientific method of validation is a powerful tool for justifying a belief. (It does not mean scientific knowledge is always correct or reliable. Scientific data are susceptible to being manipulated by interest groups.)
What I want to say here is that it is possible to know something; Knowledge is an entity that human beings can possess.
Scriptorium 