Topic: GENERAL LOGIC
Knowing That and Knowing How
By David Bzdak
(Source Orange Philosophy 07/17/2004)
I've begun delving into the literature recently on the difference between knowing that and knowing how (re-delving, actually, but that's neither here nor there). I've been quite surprised to find that it almost all jumps off from Ryle's discussion of the topic in The Concept of Mind which I believe was published at 1950.
I see hardly any mention of this topic other than in response to Ryle, and not much on the topic pre-Ryle. This strikes me as odd for such an important epistemological distinction (I realize that the distinction was recognized, pre-Ryle -- I'm wondering if it was philosophically analyzed). Am I missing a mountain of books/journals/articles out there (perhaps in the non-analytic tradition)? Or did Ryle really essentially begin this discussion?
REACTIONS
Dave,
I've wondered about that myself. I wish I could offer some help. The only thing that comes to mind is Cook Wilson, but I don't think he published much.
-Chuck
Posted by: chuck at July 17, 2004 09:36 AM
Here's some notes from a fellow in Edinburgh, with a nice little Bibliography:
http://homepages.ed.ac.uk/wpollard/knowinghowthat.pdf
Also, I saw:
Snowdon, Paul. "Knowing How and Knowing That: A Distinction Reconsidered" Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society 104:1 Sep 2003.
Posted by: chuck at July 18, 2004 09:02 AM
Arguable one of the great discussions in ancient chinese thought was precisely about the knowing how & knowling that, with the Daoists perhaps holding that knowing that is useless without knowing how. If you want to read more I would suggest Chad Hansen's ingightful book, A Daoist theory of chinese thought.
Cheers David
Posted by: David Hunter at July 20, 2004 07:55 PM
While it doesn't fit exactly into Ryle's distinction, one could also bring up Heidegger and his distinction between present-at-hand and ready-at-hand. Present at hand was more propositional knowledge and he inverted the usual relationship saying that read-at-hand or utility was more fundamental. One could, I suppose, move to the Ryle distinction with Heidegger in his middle phase arguing that knowledge-how is more fundamental than knowledge-that. I think one would have to be careful though.
Posted by: clarkgoble at July 20, 2004 08:36 PM
Gosh that was truly terrible spelling. The Daoist story which is supposed to to illustrate this distinction is from (I think) Zhuangzi and is the story of wheel wright Slab, basically the story goes that a Duke is wandering round studying one of the books of the Sages and this lowly Wheelwright laughs at him being a Duke he basically says tell me whats so funny and you better have a good reason for laughing or off with your head. The wheel wright says pardon me Duke but I don't understand why you are wasting your time with the leavings of the Sages. "What" goes the Duke! the wheelwright says well I am growing old and I am trying to teach my son how to bend wood to make wheels, I have taught him everything I know, what to do when making a wheel, still he cannot do it. When I die all I will leave behind is him, and as a wheelwright he will be no good, what I can't teach him is the skill I have, it is the same thing with reading the Sages, what made them Sages cannot be found in their leavings.
There is a fair bit throughout Zhuangzi (Also know as Chuang-Tzu) to do with this distinction usually making the point that skill is more important than knowledge.
Posted by: David Hunter at July 20, 2004 08:45 PM
Posted by Tony Marmo
at 14:36 BST
Updated: Monday, 9 August 2004 08:04 BST
