Theory Of Knowledge Epistemology Questions Medium
The Gettier problem is a philosophical thought experiment that challenges the traditional definition of knowledge as justified true belief. It was introduced by Edmund Gettier in 1963 as a response to the shortcomings of the traditional definition.
According to the traditional definition, knowledge is justified true belief. In other words, for a person to have knowledge, they must believe a proposition, the proposition must be true, and they must have a justified reason for believing it. However, Gettier's thought experiment presents cases where someone has a justified true belief, but it does not seem to qualify as knowledge.
One of the most famous examples is the "Gettier case." Imagine that Smith and Jones have applied for the same job, and Smith has strong evidence that Jones will get it. Smith also has ten coins in his pocket, and he correctly believes that "Jones will get the job, and Jones has ten coins in his pocket." However, unbeknownst to Smith, he also has ten coins in his pocket. In the end, Jones gets the job, and Smith's belief turns out to be true. However, Smith's belief was based on a false assumption about the number of coins in his pocket, and he was just lucky that his belief coincided with the truth.
This example challenges the traditional definition of knowledge because Smith's belief was justified (based on strong evidence) and true (Jones did get the job and had ten coins), yet it does not seem to be knowledge. Gettier argues that knowledge requires more than justified true belief; it also requires a certain kind of connection between the justification and the truth.
The Gettier problem highlights that there can be cases where someone has a justified true belief, but it is merely a lucky coincidence that their belief aligns with the truth. This challenges the traditional definition of knowledge because it suggests that justification and truth alone are not sufficient for knowledge. It raises the question of what additional conditions or criteria are necessary to distinguish between mere lucky coincidences and genuine knowledge.
In response to the Gettier problem, philosophers have proposed various theories and criteria to refine the definition of knowledge. These include the causal theory of knowledge, the reliability theory, and the virtue epistemology approach. These theories aim to address the shortcomings of the traditional definition and provide a more robust understanding of knowledge.