Knowledge Issues The Good, the Bad and The Ugly
Good KI
An open question, explicitly about Knowledge. Couched in of relations between concepts from AoK, WoK and belief, certainty, culture, evidence, experience, explanation, interpretation, intuition, justification, truth, values.
To what extent can human sciences use mathematical techniques to make accurate predictions?
An open question, 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 per se
OK KI
How can we prevent crime?
Good KI
An open question, explicitly about Knowledge. Couched in of relations between concepts from AoK, WoK and belief, certainty, culture, evidence, experience, explanation, interpretation, intuition, justification, truth, values.
OK KI
An open question, 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 per se
The Sixth Sense
?
Good KI
An open question, explicitly about Knowledge. Couched in of relations between concepts from AoK, WoK and belief, certainty, culture, evidence, experience, explanation, interpretation, intuition, justification, truth, values.
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OK KI
An open question, 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 per se
Utilitarianism
Good KI
An open question, explicitly about Knowledge. Couched in of relations between concepts from AoK, WoK and belief, certainty, culture, evidence, experience, explanation, interpretation, intuition, justification, truth, values.
?
OK KI
An open question, 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 per se
What do we mean by an‘epidemic’?
Good KI
An open question, explicitly about Knowledge. Couched in of relations between concepts from AoK, WoK and belief, certainty, culture, evidence, experience, explanation, interpretation, intuition, justification, truth, values..
?
OK KI
An open question, 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 per se
The credit crisis
Good KI
An open question, explicitly about Knowledge. Couched in of relations between concepts from AoK, WoK and belief, certainty, culture, evidence, experience, explanation, interpretation, intuition, justification, truth, values.
OK KI
An open question, 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 per se
Your own ideas?
Good Knowledge Issues are: • Open questions explicitly about Knowledge per se and not about subject-specific claims • Couched in 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
extraction Knowledge Issue (recognized)
Theory of Knowledge: Presentation Structure
Real-Life Situation
extraction Knowledge Issue (recognized)
progression
Knowledge Issue(s) (developed)
Theory of Knowledge: Presentation Structure
Real-Life Situation
extraction Knowledge Issue (recognized)
progression
Knowledge Issue(s) (developed)
Theory of Knowledge: Presentation Structure Other Real-Life Situation
Real-Life Situation Other Real-Life Situation
extraction 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
Da Vinci Code
Why do conspiracy theories exist?
Death of JFK
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
Limits of human sensory perception
How far is science limited in finding out the truth about reality?
Definition of reality
Situations not amenable to experimentation
Problems of inductive reasoning
Incompatibility between scientific and moral claims
Definitions of science
Astronomy
Differences between ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions
Role of technology in science
Limits of Science
Documentary on the Large Hadron Collider
Colour illusions
Nature of scientific method
Limits of human sensory perception
Situations not amenable to experimentation
Problems of inductive reasoning
Incompatibility between scientific and moral claims
Definition of reality
Astronomy
Mathematics Axioms must be taken for granted
How far is science limited in finding out the truth about reality?
Definitions of science
Gödel’s theorem
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
Colour illusions
Nature of scientific method
Limits of human sensory perception
Situations not amenable to experimentation
Problems of inductive reasoning
Incompatibility between scientific and moral claims
Definition of reality
Astronomy
Mathematics Axioms must be taken for granted
How far is science limited in finding out the truth about reality?
Definitions of science
Gödel’s theorem
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
Colour illusions
Nature of scientific method
Limits of human sensory perception
Situations not amenable to experimentation
Problems of inductive reasoning
Incompatibility between scientific and moral claims
Definition of reality
Astronomy
Mathematics Axioms must be taken for granted
How far is science limited in finding out the truth about reality?
Definitions of science
Gödel’s theorem
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 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 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?
Other problems: gaps, language issues, past interpreted in of present, etc.
Why should we care about historical truth?
Validity of claims in Mathematics and Science…
Validity of claims in Art…
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
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 of present, etc.
Why should we care about historical truth?
Validity of claims in Mathematics and Science…
Validity of claims in Art…
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.