Epistemology
How do we know?

Epistemology — Common questions

Questions about Epistemology

What does epistemology study?

Epistemology studies the nature, sources and limits of knowledge. It asks: what is the difference between knowing and merely believing? What counts as good evidence? Can we know anything with certainty? The Stanford Encyclopedia is the best starting point for academic study.

What is the Gettier problem?

Edmund Gettier showed in a famous 1963 paper that a true, justified belief can still fail to be knowledge — undermining the traditional definition. The IEP article on the Gettier problem explains the original counterexamples clearly.

What is the difference between empiricism and rationalism?

Empiricists (Locke, Hume, Berkeley) hold that all knowledge comes from sensory experience. Rationalists (Descartes, Leibniz, Kant) hold that reason alone can deliver some knowledge. See our glossary entry on empiricism and the Stanford article on the debate.