[lit-ideas] Re: Pirots and Squarrels: Grice on Ethology
- From: Omar Kusturica <omarkusto@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: "lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 30 Apr 2013 04:42:24 -0700 (PDT)
________________________________
From: Donal McEvoy <donalmcevoyuk@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, April 30, 2013 12:13 PM
Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: Pirots and Squarrels: Grice on Ethology
So it begs to the underlying epistemic question to assert that
> The concept of knowing
implies that a belief is true and not false. (plus, the fact that we hold it)>
Nor is it true: what may be true is that there a concept, or a particular
conception, of "knowing" where "knowing" implies that a belief is true. But
this particular conception is not the only one and cannot try to win the
epistemic debate by claiming it is the only one. Popper has filled a number of
books, for example Objective Knowledge, with another conception or theory of
knowledge. It is risible to think the semantics of "knowing" are adequate to
rebut Popper.
*The previous note was written in a bit of haste, and the mention of
Wittgenstein or Ayer was made in passing as I don't remember the discussion
well, but perhaps someone else might. Do you always get this worked up when
these guys are mentioned ?
The fact is that the verb 'know' is just not used in English language in the
sense of false knowledge. A quick search renders this:
. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/know
1. to perceive or understand as fact or truth; to apprehend clearly and with
certainty: I know the situation fully.
Could you find a reliable dictionary that defines 'know' in a sense that would
allow for 'false knowledge' ? Dictionaries may not be epistemic authorities but
they tend to be authorities on, ehem, linguistic usage. (Btw I think that even
Popper doesn't speak of 'false knowledge' but 'fallible knowledge')
I am not sure that this is an attempt to 'win' the epistemological debate but
rather to clarify the terms of the debate. To point out that the English usage
of the verb 'know' entails correct belief does not say anything on which
beliefs are to be considered correct, or on what grounds. This doesn't attempt
to answer a question such as Socrates might ask: "What is knowledge ?" but
rather how we use the term.
O.K.
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