Topic: Cognition & Epistemology
Skepticism and the value of knowledge
by Patrick Hawley
Knowledge is no more valuable than lasting true belief. This surprising claim helps defuse skepticism about knowledge.
The main claim of this essay is that knowledge is no more valuable than lasting true belief. This claim is surprising. Doesn't knowledge have a unique and special value? If the main claim is correct and if, as it seems, knowledge is not lasting true belief, then knowledge does not have a unique value: in whatever way knowledge is valuable, lasting true belief is just as valuable.
After clarifying and defending the main claim, I will draw three conclusions. First, the main claim does not show that knowledge is worthless, nor undermine our knowledge gathering practices. Second, skepticism about knowledge is defused. Even if one cannot have knowledge, one can have something just as valuable. Third, any attempt to analyze the concept of knowledge faces a severe constraint.
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Posted by Tony Marmo
at 00:01 BST
Updated: Thursday, 7 October 2004 09:53 BST
