The Truth of

Knowledge
 Differences among correspondence, coherence, and pragmatic theories or methods of truth.
 Distinguish and explain the particular methods of observation, reasoning, intuition, mystical
experience, and the appeal to authority.
 Distinguish between knowledge by acquaintance, practical knowledge, and propositional
knowledge
 Explain the nature of knowledge as justified true belief
 Explain the conditions of belief, truth, and justification for knowledge
 Distinguish between knowledge and forms of non knowledge (opinion and guess)
 Distinguish between disagreements in belief, disagreements in attitude, and merely verbal
disagreements.
How do we know
something is true?
What are the bearers of truth?
Methods of Truth
-LET US NOW EXAMINE THE VARIOUS WAYS OF KNOWING THE TRUTH
OR, IN PARTICULAR, OF DETERMINING THE TRUTH OF A GIVEN
STATEMENT OR BELIEF.
THESE WAYS OF KNOWING , WHICH WE SHALL CALL METHODS OF
TRUTH CAN BE DISTINGUISHED INTO THE GENERAL AND THE
PARTICULAR KINDS.
Theories of Truth
THE GENERAL METHODS OF TRUTH REFER TO THE METHODS OF TRUTH
DESCRIBED IN WHAT PHILOSOPHERS USUALLY CALL THEORIES OF TRUTH
CONSTISTING OF THE:
• CORRESPONDENSE
• COHERENCE
• PRAGMATIC THEORIES

(SEE GLANZBERG 2014)

Theories of Truth
- WAYS OF EXPLAINING THE TRUTH OR WHAT MAKES A STATEMENT
OR BELIEF TRUE.
- REFER TO THE SPECIFIC WAYS OF APPLYING THE GENERAL
METHODS OF TRUTH
- THE PARTICULAR METHODS OF TRUTH THAT WE SHALL BRIEFLY
EXAMINE ARE : OBSERVATION, REASONING, INTUITION, MYSTICAL
EXPERIENCE, AND THE APPEAL TO AUTHORITY.
According to the general method of
correspondence
 We can know whether a statement is true by examining whether the statement
belief corresponds to, or represents, a fact in the world.
 If the statement/belief does corresponds to a fact, then the statement/belief is true;
if it does not, then it is false.
 For example, the statement “the sky is blue” is true because it represents or
corresponds to the fact that the sky is blue; while the statement “water is not wet”
is false because it does not correspond to the fact as there is no form of water that
is not wet.
According to the general method of
coherence
 We can know whether a statement/belief is true by examining whether the
statement/belief coheres with the rules of the relevant system.
 Example, the statement “three and three are six” is true because it coheres the
rules of the mathematical system.
According to the general method of
pragmatism
 We can know whether a statement /belief is true by examining the consequence of
holding or accepting the statement to be true.