Knowledge Issues The Good, the Bad and The Ugly
An open question, explicitly about Knowledge.
Good KI
Couched in terms of relations between concepts from AoK, WoK and belief, certainty, culture, evidence, experience, explanation, interpretation, intuition, justification, justificat ion, truth, values. values.
To what extent can human sciences use mathematical techniques to make accurate predictions?
An open question, q uestion, explicitly explicitly about Knowledge.
How can we use models to predict crime waves?
Poor KI
A closed question, implicitly about Knowledge
Will police crime predictions turn out to be correct?
Not a KI
A statement or a closed question, about a subject specific issue rather than about Knowledge
OK KI
How can we prevent crime?
An open question, explicitly about Knowledge.
Good KI
Couched in terms of relations between concepts from AoK, WoK and belief, certainty, culture, evidence, experience, explanation, interpretation, intuition, justification, justificat ion, truth, values. values.
OK KI
An open question, q uestion, explicitly explicitly about Knowledge.
Should we believe paranormal claims?
Poor KI
A closed question, implicitly about Knowledge
Does the paranormal exist?
Not a KI
A statement or a closed question, about a subject specific issue rather than about Knowledge
The Sixth Sense
?
An open question, explicitly about Knowledge.
Good KI
Couched in terms of relations between concepts from AoK, WoK and belief, certainty, culture, evidence, experience, explanation, interpretation, intuition, justification, justificat ion, truth, values. values.
OK KI
An open question, q uestion, explicitly explicitly about Knowledge.
? ?
Poor KI
A closed question, implicitly about Knowledge
Why is Utilitarianism appealing?
Not a KI
A statement or a closed question, about a subject specific issue rather than about Knowledge
Utilitarianism
An open question, explicitly about Knowledge.
Good KI
Couched in terms of relations between concepts from AoK, WoK and belief, certainty, culture, evidence, experience, explanation, interpretation, intuition, justification, justificat ion, truth, values. values.
OK KI
An open question, q uestion, explicitly explicitly about Knowledge.
?
Poor KI
A closed question, implicitly about Knowledge
Is swine flu likely to kill millions?
Not a KI
A statement or a closed question, about a subject specific issue rather than about Knowledge
?
What do we mean by an epidemic ? ‘
’
An open question, explicitly about Knowledge.
Good KI
Couched in terms of relations between concepts from AoK, WoK and belief, certainty, culture, evidence, experience, explanation, interpretation, intuition, justification, justificat ion, truth, values.. values..
OK KI
An open question, q uestion, explicitly explicitly about Knowledge.
?
Poor KI
A closed question, implicitly about Knowledge
?
Not a KI
A statement or a closed question, about a subject specific issue rather than about Knowledge
?
The credit crisis
An open question, explicitly about Knowledge.
Good KI
Couched in terms of relations between concepts from AoK, WoK and belief, certainty, culture, evidence, experience, explanation, interpretation, intuition, justification, justificat ion, truth, values. values.
OK KI
An open question, q uestion, explicitly explicitly about Knowledge.
Poor KI
A closed question, implicitly about Knowledge
Not a KI
A statement or a closed question, about a subject specific issue rather than about Knowledge
Your own ideas?
Good Knowledge Issues are: •
•
Open questions explicitly about Knowledge per se and not about subject-specific claims Couched in terms of relations between concepts from AoK, WoK and belief, certainty, culture, evidence, experience, explanation, interpretation, intuition, justification, truth, values.
Theory of Knowledge: Presentation Structure
Real-Life Situation
e x t r a c t i o n
Knowledge Issue (recognized)
Theory of Knowledge: Presentation Structure
Real-Life Situation
e x t r a c t i o n
Knowledge Issue (recognized)
progression
Knowledge Issue(s) (developed)
Theory of Knowledge: Presentation Structure
Real-Life Situation
e x t r a c t i o n
Knowledge Issue (recognized)
progression
Knowledge Issue(s) (developed)
Theory of Knowledge: Presentation Structure Other Real-Life Situation
Real-Life Situation Other Real-Life Situation e x t r a c t i o n
Knowledge Issue (recognized)
progression
Knowledge Issue(s) (developed)
Example 1 Conspiracy Theories
What are the strengths and weaknesses of this structure?
Conspiracy
Da Vinci Code
Why do conspiracy theories exist?
Conspiracy
Da Vinci Code
Why do conspiracy theories exist?
People believe what s most appealing ’
Different Interpretations of the same facts Biases affecting conclusions drawn
Conspiracy
Death of JFK
Da Vinci Code
Why do conspiracy theories exist?
Death of Benazir Bhutto
People believe what s most appealing ’
Different Interpretations of the same facts Biases affecting conclusions drawn
Example 2 Limits of Science
What are the strengths and weaknesses of this structure?
Limits of Science
Documentary on the Large Hadron Collider
How far is science limited in finding out the truth about reality?
Limits of Science
Documentary on the Large Hadron Collider
Nature of scientific method How far is science limited in finding out the truth about reality?
Definitions of science
Definition of reality
Limits of Science
Documentary on the Large Hadron Collider
Colour illusions
Nature of scientific method
Astronomy
Limits of human sensory perception
How far is science limited in finding out the truth about reality?
Problems of inductive reasoning
Incompatibility between scientific and moral claims
Definitions of science
Definition of reality
Situations not amenable to experimentation
Differences between how and why questions ‘
’
‘
’
Role of technology in science
Limits of Science
Documentary on the Large Hadron Collider
Gödel s theorem ’
Colour illusions
Nature of scientific method
Astronomy
Limits of human sensory perception
Problems of inductive reasoning
Incompatibility between scientific and moral claims
Definition of reality
Mathematics Axioms must be taken for granted
How far is science limited in finding out the truth about reality?
Definitions of science
Situations not amenable to experimentation
Differences between how and why questions ‘
’
‘
’
Role of technology in science
History the past is beyond our grasp
Human sciences Human behaviour is unpredictable
Limits of Science
Documentary on the Large Hadron Collider Medicine HIV treatment
Gödel s theorem ’
Colour illusions
Nature of scientific method
Astronomy
Limits of human sensory perception
Problems of inductive reasoning
Incompatibility between scientific and moral claims
Definition of reality
Mathematics Axioms must be taken for granted
How far is science limited in finding out the truth about reality?
Definitions of science
Situations not amenable to experimentation
Differences between how and why questions ‘
’
‘
’
Role of technology in science
History the past is beyond our grasp
Human sciences Human behaviour is unpredictable
Successes of science?
Limits of Science
Documentary on the Large Hadron Collider Medicine HIV treatment
Gödel s theorem ’
Colour illusions
Nature of scientific method
Astronomy
Limits of human sensory perception
Problems of inductive reasoning
Incompatibility between scientific and moral claims
Definition of reality
Mathematics Axioms must be taken for granted
How far is science limited in finding out the truth about reality?
Definitions of science
Situations not amenable to experimentation
Differences between how and why questions ‘
’
‘
’
Role of technology in science
History the past is beyond our grasp
Human sciences Human behaviour is unpredictable
Successes of science?
Example 3 Claims in History
What are the strengths and weaknesses of this structure?
Claims in History
President Ahmedinejad s denial of the Jewish Holocaust ’
Description of Holocaust Auschwitz
Claims in History
President Ahmedinejad s denial of the Jewish Holocaust ’
Under what circumstances can a historical claim be considered valid?
Description of Holocaust Auschwitz
Claims in History
President Ahmedinejad s denial of the Jewish Holocaust ’
Description of Holocaust Auschwitz
Importance of history Understanding the present Predicting the future Knowing identity
Under what circumstances can a historical claim be considered certain?
Explanation of the concept of validity in relation to historical evidence
Other problems: gaps, language issues, past interpreted in terms of present, etc.
Why should we care about historical truth?
Role of bias and Interpretation in history: emotion, culture, etc.
Is there a True history?
Claims in History
President Ahmedinejad s denial of the Jewish Holocaust ’
Description of Holocaust Auschwitz Wall Street crash
Phlogiston Witchhunt of communists in USA “
Importance of history Understanding the present Predicting the future Knowing identity
Under what circumstances can a historical claim be considered valid?
Explanation of the concept of validity in relation to historical evidence
Other problems: gaps, language issues, past interpreted in terms of present, etc.
Why should we care about historical truth?
Role of bias and Interpretation in history: emotion, culture, etc.
Is there a True history?
”
Claims in History
President Ahmedinejad s denial of the Jewish Holocaust ’
Description of Holocaust Auschwitz Wall Street crash
Phlogiston Witchhunt of communists in USA “
Validity of claims in Mathematics and
Importance of history Understanding the present Predicting the future Knowing identity
Under what circumstances can a historical claim be considered valid?
”
Other problems: gaps, language issues, past interpreted in terms of present, etc.
Science…
Validity of claims in Art…
Why should we care about historical truth?
Is there a True history? Validity of claims in Ethics…
Explanation of the concept of validity in relation to historical evidence
Role of bias and Interpretation in history: emotion, culture, etc.
Claims in History
President Ahmedinejad s denial of the Jewish Holocaust ’
Description of Holocaust
???
Auschwitz Wall Street crash
Phlogiston Witchhunt of communists in USA “
Validity of claims in Mathematics and
Importance of history Understanding the present Predicting the future Knowing identity
Under what circumstances can a historical claim be considered valid?
”
Other problems: gaps, language issues, past interpreted in terms of present, etc.
Science…
Validity of claims in Art…
Why should we care about historical truth?
Is there a True history? Validity of claims in Ethics…
Explanation of the concept of validity in relation to historical evidence
Role of bias and Interpretation in history: emotion, culture, etc.