Beliefs sufficiently justified to count as knowledge
I look outside my window and see the grass is green. I’m not colorblind, my vision has been tested, and multiple other people have told me it was green, I’ve also tested it in different lights and have seen that it is still green, I even tested it with a color monitor to see that it is green.
- I believe this is true and I have sufficient justification for it
The US is made up of 50 states. This is sufficient to count as knowledge, because I believe that it is true, and I have sufficient justification for it. I have seen a map of the US, and have counted the states myself. Furthermore, authoritative figures, such as teachers, and my parents, have told me that there are 50 states. Moreover, it is a generally accepted fact that society agrees upon.
Beliefs with some justification but not enough to count as knowledge
- It feels like 68 degrees outside
- It smells like cookies but I can’t see the kitchen and don’t know what’s baking
Beliefs that count as knowledge but are NOT maximally justified
- There are at least 100 fish in the ocean.
- This is not maximally justified because we have not been into the ocean and counted the exact number of fish, but we do have enough justification to count this as knowledge.
Two beliefs are justified but one is more justified than the other
- There are 50 states in the United States
- Penguins live in Antarctica
- The grass is Green
- Pollution causes climate change
Both beliefs are sufficiently justified to be knowledge
- The grass is green
- There are 7 continents
Neither beliefs is sufficiently justified to be knowledge
- I have always wanted to meet a mermaid, and I have never seen Paige touch water before so I think she is a mermaid- this is an example of wishful thinking
- I am a very anxious person, I see Tess wearing a ski mask and immediately assume that she is a robber
One belief is sufficiently justified to be knowledge but not the other
- The grass is green
- There are zombies in Ohio- I saw a zombie movie set in Ohio
example of inferential justification
- I know that spiders have 8 legs
- I see a bug that has 8 legs but don’t know if its a spider; I count the legs and deduce that its a spider
example of non-inferential justification
I trust my sense perception; I see a red flower- I know it is red
example of inferentially justified beliefs
- I know a tomato is a fruit because they have seeds inside
- I think my friend is sad because I see her crying
example of non inferentially justified beliefs
- the sky is blue (perception)
- memory (I remember that there are 50 states)- non-inferential- comes from memory not from another justified believe
inferential justification
the conclusion you get comes from your reasoning- a belief justified via another belief
EX: I know a tomato is a fruit because they have seeds inside. I know all fruits have seeds
EX: I think my friend is sad because I see her crying, and I think when you cry you are sad
non-inferential justification
The thing you believe is just your experience (no reasoning)
- EX: I see a yellow flower, and think the flower is yellow
example where a person is skeptical about some subject x but not skeptical about a different subject y
skeptical about a fact that you heard from an unreliable person but not skeptical about a fact you hear from an expert on those facts
