4 Sources of Knowledge Free Online FlashCards

What is a source of knowledge?

A capacity, experience, or social practice through which someone may gain a belief and be justified in accepting it.

How can perception provide knowledge?

Perception uses the senses to learn about the surrounding world, such as seeing rain through a window.

Is perception infallible?

No. Poor lighting, distance, illusion, or hallucination can make perception misleading.

What role does memory play in knowledge?

Memory preserves or retrieves information about the past, allowing knowledge to persist and guide present action.

What can make a remembered belief less secure?

Recollection can be incomplete or distorted. Confidence, consistency, and independent evidence can matter when a memory is challenged.

What is testimony as a source of knowledge?

Testimony is information received from other people through spoken reports, written accounts, or expert explanations.

When may accepting testimony be reasonable?

A report may be reasonable to accept when the speaker is competent and trustworthy and there is no strong reason for doubt.

What is introspection?

Introspection is awareness or examination of one’s own mental states, such as feelings, beliefs, desires, or intentions.

What is one limit of introspection?

People may be mistaken about why they acted, what they believe, or their enduring character; introspective access is limited.

What is inference?

Inference is reasoning from one or more claims to another, extending knowledge beyond what is immediately perceived or remembered.

What distinguishes deductive inference?

Deduction draws a conclusion that must be true if the premises are true and the reasoning is valid.

What distinguishes inductive inference?

Induction uses observed cases to support a probable conclusion, but the conclusion is not guaranteed.