Epistemology Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! ==Domains of inquiry== ===Formal epistemology=== {{Main|Formal epistemology|Computational epistemology}} Formal epistemology uses formal tools and methods from [[decision theory]], [[logic]], [[probability theory]], and [[computability theory]] to model and reason about issues of epistemological interest.<ref name="SEP Formal Epistemology" /> Work in this area spans several academic fields, including [[philosophy]], [[computer science]], [[economics]], and [[statistics]]. The focus of formal epistemology has tended to differ somewhat from that of traditional epistemology, with topics like uncertainty, induction, and belief revision garnering more attention than the analysis of knowledge, skepticism, and issues with justification. ===Historical epistemology=== {{Main|Historical epistemology}} Historical epistemology is the study of the historical conditions of, and changes in, different kinds of knowledge.<ref name="Wartofsky1979"/><ref name="Wartofsky1983"/> There are many versions of or approaches to historical epistemology, which is different from history of epistemology.<ref name="Sturm2011"/> Twentieth-century French historical epistemologists like [[Abel Rey]], [[Gaston Bachelard]], [[Jean Cavaillès]], and [[Georges Canguilhem]] focused specifically on changes in scientific discourse.<ref name="Braustein2012"/><ref name="Peña-Guzmán2020"/> ===Metaepistemology=== {{Main|Metaepistemology}} Metaepistemology is the [[metaphilosophical]] study of the [[philosophical method|methods]], aims, and subject matter of epistemology.<ref name="REP Metaepistemology"/> In general, metaepistemology aims to better understand our first-order epistemological inquiry. Some goals of metaepistemology are identifying inaccurate assumptions made in epistemological debates and determining whether the questions asked in mainline epistemology are the ''right'' epistemological questions to be asking. ===Social epistemology=== {{Main|Social epistemology}} Social epistemology deals with questions about knowledge in contexts where our knowledge attributions cannot be explained by simply examining individuals in isolation from one another, meaning that the scope of our knowledge attributions must be widened to include broader social contexts.<ref name="SEP epistemology-social"/> It also explores the ways in which interpersonal beliefs can be justified in social contexts.<ref name="SEP epistemology-social"/> The most common topics discussed in contemporary social epistemology are [[testimony]], which deals with the conditions under which a belief "x is true" that result from being told "x is true" constitutes knowledge; peer disagreement, which deals with when and how I should revise my beliefs in light of other people holding beliefs that contradict mine; and group epistemology, which deals with what it means to attribute knowledge to groups rather than individuals, and when group knowledge attributions are appropriate.<!--PLEASE EXPAND SOCIAL EPISTEMOLOGY SUBSECTIONS; DO NOT REMOVE ====Testimony==== ====Peer disagreement==== ====Group knowledge==== --> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! Cancel Editing help (opens in new window) Discuss this page