Epistemology
So what's the point of this topic? This is usually the first topic you'll be presented with when you start A-Level Philosophy and it's kinda a big one.
The whole point of this topic is: What is Knowledge and how can we know it, or, CAN we even know it? This is up for you to decide. You'll be presented with a list of theories, their supports, their criticisms and from there it is up to you to decide.
So what is knowledge?
The first thing AQA wants you to be able to do is differentiate between the different types of knowledge. Here, we draw on Linda Zagzabski to help us define these types of knowledge.
Acquaintance knowledge:
Knowledge “of”
This is direct knowledge of something through experience, like knowing people and things but also your own mental states.
Ability knowledge:
Knowledge “how”
Simply put, this is knowledge of how to do something. You can try explain to someone how to ride a bike, but they only gain that knowledge when they figure it out and can do it for themselves. This knowledge is not factual (propositional) knowledge.
Propositional knowledge:
Knowledge “that”
Propositional knowledge is known by a true proposition about the world.
