What is Knowledge

[The Stranger]

which is?

[Aemilius Paulus]

which is?

...That there is no such thing as being informed, and that the only thing a truly knowledgeable person knows is that he knows nothing. Perhaps nihilism in a certain sense.

Just read Plato's writings about him. You have to read them to fully understand the validity of Socrates' claims.

Have you not studied Socrates yet in your school/Uni? I cannot think of a greater shame for educational institutions to not at least devote a sentence to the most pivotal philosopher in the Western History. How old are you, if that is not a secret?

[The Stranger]

...That there is no such thing as being informed, and that the only thing a truly knowledgeable person knows is that he knows nothing. Perhaps nihilism in a certain sense.

Just read Plato's writings about him. You have to read them to fully understand the validity of Socrates' claims.

Have you not studied Socrates yet in your school/Uni? I cannot think of a greater shame for educational institutions to not at least devote a sentence to the most pivotal philosopher in the Western History. How old are you, if that is not a secret?

im studying him now... im reading theataetus... ive also read republic... i know about this claim, but he has some more, so i didnt know which one you were talking about :)

in a certain way socrates is definitly right. we know nothing FOR CERTAIN, but wether something is true or false is not a neccesity for us to know the things we know. atleast thats what i think, but ill come back to that more elaborately later.

edit: im 18. but i dont see why my age would matter :P im now freshman philosphystudent ;) but ive had socrates already some years back on high school.

[pevergreen]

The real question is, what is wisdom?

Mine is about 14. The +2 mod really helps.

[Azathoth]

A better question would be: "What is love?"

[Hax]

True knowledge is accepting that all things come to an end, in my opinion. If you have realized this, you're free.

Just like Nikos Kazantzakis: "I fear nothing, I hope for nothing; I am free".

[pevergreen]

A better question would be: "What is love?"

I cannot believe I missed that. I saw the thread title for a second time, then rushed in, but beaten to it.

[Sasaki Kojiro]

Knowledge is facts and things that can be taught to you. Wisdom is a different idea, and what the socrates quote is in reference too. Knowledge is knowing how to get somewhere, wisdom is knowing where to go. Ehhh, whatever, I just made that up.

[The Stranger]

The real question is, what is wisdom?

Mine is about 14. The +2 mod really helps.

wisdom and knowledge are 2 different things, im not asking the key to life, or the most important question, im just asking What is Knowledge, not love, not wisdom, not anything else.

but if asked i would say that wisdom is about the way you use your knowledge, in the moral sense of it.

edit: hadnt seen their posts before, but i agree with sasaki (did i say that?) and sheogorath


and hax, when you start talking about true knowledge, things get even more subjective than they already are :P no one can ever determine true knowledge for more persons than themself

[CountArach]

I took a philosophy course last year. Half of the Semester was spent on the discussion "What is Knowledge?" I'll see if I can dig some of the theories up. Oh and the summarising answer was - we don't, and indeed cannot, know anything.

[tibilicus]

I'm pretty certain I had to answer this very question for a Philosophy class..

To save you the boredom of you reading 2 pages heres what I pretty much concluded.

To describe knowledge then you have to consider all three factors. In a sense then knowledge can be defined as a statement, theory or any other written or verbal prerogative which states something to be both true and justifiable as well as that which is believed by the person stating it. Knowledge then is to know certain facts or events which can be proven true, justifiable and believable. Only by meeting the three criteria can statements or facts be proven and classified as knowledge. A knowledgeable person for example would also need to posses these three points in the actions they say or do to be a knowledgeable person.

EDIT: Actually I suppose in a way that was kind of pointless seeming very few people will know the 3 criteria I'm talking about. Oh well..

[Banquo's Ghost]

Oh and the summarising answer was - we don't, and indeed cannot, know anything.

How do you know?

[Sasaki Kojiro]

we don't, and indeed cannot, know anything.

This kind of thing always struck me as the western equivalent of "what is the sound of one hand clapping".