Q&A: Knowledge, Certainty, and More
Knowledge, Certainty, and More
Question
Hello,
I wanted to ask whether I understand the terms correctly, because if so it seems to me there is a major difficulty here.
- Truth (in the context of a factual claim) — this is the claim that the thing in itself is realized in reality.
- Belief / probability — the assumption that what we think is close to the truth, with that same internal “strength” of belief.
- Certainty — a feeling of self-conviction that we cannot be mistaken in that belief. Usually this would be only in the context of logical claims where it is impossible to think otherwise.
- Knowledge — the claim that that belief / feeling of certainty is also true.
But if so, how can we know anything?
That requires additional external information that would verify the connection between the feeling of belief or certainty and the thing in itself. And if that external critique cannot be obtained, then how is knowledge different from belief?
Likewise, one cannot say that yesterday I knew that 2+2=3. Rather, one can say that I thought I knew yesterday that 2+2=3, but in fact I was mistaken (and today I know it is 4). In other words, I believed that 2+2=3. Again, it clearly seems that knowledge functions as something different from belief.
Respectfully,
Observer from the Side
Answer
Indeed, there is no fundamental difference between belief and knowledge. There is much to comment on regarding the definitions, but this is not the place.
Discussion
Discussion on Answer
In the Rabbi's first lesson on doubt and statistics, there is extensive discussion of clarifying the terms you mentioned.
Thank you, Jonathan, I’ll watch there.
Rabbi, have you written a column clarifying these concepts? It seems worth a column.
No, but it appears in my books and in various lessons.
Has the Rabbi dealt with writing about these concepts? Maybe he could write a column on the subject?