Welcome to your first lesson in our course on epistemology! Your goal is to build a solid foundation for clear thinking and constructing arguments by exploring how we know what we know.
In this introductory lesson, we will begin by examining the very language we use when we talk about "knowing." You will learn to distinguish between three fundamental types of knowledge:
- Propositional knowledge ('knowing that')
- Procedural knowledge ('knowing how')
- Knowledge by acquaintance ('knowing of' or 'knowing who')
Understanding this distinction is the essential first step in the study of epistemology, as it clarifies which type of knowledge philosophers are most often trying to analyze.
What Do We Mean by "Know"?
Think for a moment about these three sentences:
- I know that the sun rises in the east.
- I know how to make coffee.
- I know my best friend.
In each case, you use the word "know," but it points to a different kind of relationship with the world. The first is about a fact, the second is about a skill, and the third is about familiarity through experience. Philosophers have given these distinctions specific names.
To get a quick and clear overview of these three categories, let's start with a short video.
The Three Kinds of Knowledge (Knowledge That, Knowledge Of, and Knowledge How)
This video from Carneades.org provides an excellent introduction to the three kinds of knowledge, using a classic philosophical puzzle to illustrate the difference between them.
Please watch the entire video (it's about 6.5 minutes long). As you watch, pay close attention to the examples given for 'knowledge that', 'knowledge of', and 'knowledge how'.
Defining the Three Types of Knowledge
The video gave you a solid conceptual map. Now, let's solidify those ideas with more formal definitions and examples. The text below, from a standard introductory philosophy textbook, breaks down each category in detail.
The following reading from 'Introduction to Philosophy' by OpenStax provides precise definitions for our three types of knowledge. It also introduces the philosopher Bertrand Russell, who was key in articulating one of these distinctions.
Please read the section that begins with 'Philosophers classify knowledge not only by source but also by type.' Continue reading until you reach the table that summarizes the types of knowledge. This table is also a very helpful summary.
As you saw in the reading, we can summarize the three types as follows:
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Propositional Knowledge ('knowledge-that'): This is knowledge of facts or propositions. A proposition is a statement that can be true or false, like "It is raining" or "2+2=4." When we say we know a proposition, we are claiming that it is true. Your goal of understanding and constructing arguments will primarily deal with this type of knowledge, as arguments are built from propositions.
- Example: Knowing that Paris is the capital of France.
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Procedural Knowledge ('knowledge-how'): This is knowledge of a skill or ability. It's about being able to do something. Crucially, as the reading points out, you can have a great deal of propositional knowledge about a task (like the physics of riding a bike) without having the procedural knowledge of how to do it.
- Example: Knowing how to ride a bicycle.
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Knowledge by Acquaintance: This is knowledge gained through direct, first-hand experience. Bertrand Russell distinguished this from "knowledge by description" (another term for propositional knowledge). When you have knowledge by acquaintance, you are directly aware of something. This is most obvious with our own internal sensations (like pain), but can also apply to people, places, or things with which we are immediately familiar.
- Example: Knowing the taste of chocolate, or knowing your sister.
Test your understanding!
For each of the following statements, categorize the type of knowledge being described as propositional, procedural, or by acquaintance.
- A chef knows the recipe for a perfect risotto.
- The same chef knows how to cook the risotto without looking at the recipe.
- A food critic knows the specific flavor of that chef's risotto.
- A student knows that World War I began in 1914.
- A veteran knows the experience of being in a battle.
Show answer
- Propositional knowledge. A recipe is a set of factual statements and instructions.
- Procedural knowledge. This is the ability or skill to perform the task.
- Knowledge by acquaintance. This is direct experiential knowledge of a specific taste.
- Propositional knowledge. This is knowledge of a historical fact.
- Knowledge by acquaintance. This is direct, first-hand experiential knowledge.
Why This Distinction Matters
For the remainder of this course, our focus will almost exclusively be on propositional knowledge. Why? Because when we ask fundamental questions like "What is knowledge?", "How can we be sure of what we believe?", and "What counts as good reason or justification?", we are almost always talking about the justification of factual claims.
The structure of arguments, the reliability of our sources (like perception or reason), and the challenges from skepticism all center on our claim to know that something is the case.
Conclusion
In this lesson, we established the crucial groundwork for our study of epistemology.
Key Takeaways:
- The word "know" is used in several distinct ways in our language.
- Philosophers categorize these into three main types:
- Propositional knowledge ('knowledge-that'): Knowledge of facts.
- Procedural knowledge ('knowledge-how'): Knowledge of skills.
- Knowledge by acquaintance: Knowledge from direct experience.
- Epistemology, as a field of philosophy, is primarily concerned with analyzing the nature, sources, and limits of propositional knowledge.
Preview of the Next Lesson:
Now that we have isolated propositional knowledge as our main topic, we can ask the central question: What exactly does it take to have it? In the next lesson, we will explore the classical answer to this question, the "Justified True Belief" (JTB) analysis of knowledge, which has been the starting point for discussion for over two thousand years.