What is it to have knowledge?

[Piers]

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The question was not, "When does someone think they know that p," which is what you seem to be describing, but rather, "When does someone know that p."

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I am saying the two are the same. Someone knows p when they think they know p.

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It can't just be a state of mind to have knowledge, for otherwise anyone can know anything as long as they really think they do, so to speak

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I am saying that precisely that. Someone knows something when they really think they do.

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We can't put scientific knowledge for example on a par with this subjective state of mind you are referring to, for otherwise scientific knowledge has no special justificatory status--it's as subjective as me knowing that the moon is made of cheese (which is possible by your account).


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On the contrary I am saying precisely that. Knowledge is entirely subjective.

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If knowledge really were just being in a certain subjective state of mind, then when a scientist (or anyone else, for that matter) claimed to know that the moon was made of cheese no one would dispute it--after all, he would only be reporting some subjective state of mind.

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If someone knew that the moon was made of blue cheese, I would not dispute that they knew the moon was made of blue cheese, however I would dispute the statement that the mood was made of blue cheese.

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But since we *know* in fact that the moon is not made of cheese when someone claims to know that it is we point out that they are wrong.

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You can point out that they are wrong, however that does not change the fact that they know the moon is made of blue cheese and you know that it is not.

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what conditions have to be satisfied for someone to actually know that p

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Someone knows p if they think they know p.

The problem I think is that you appear to believe that at some level understanding of reality is accessible.

While I consider that understanding reality is inaccessible fantasy, and all have is what we can observe and our reactions to that.

Back to your definition of true belief.

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1. S must believe
2. P must be true
3. S must be justified in believe P

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2 is unconfirmable and 3 is meaningless without explaining what justified means.

You're very confused.

[Piers]

Sorry for a momment I got you mixed up with the OP.