How Do You Know?

Knowledge is power - whoever said this must never have observed our political leaders debating. After watching question period, you could be forgiven for concluding that knowledge and power are inversely correlated. But the reality is more complex. There are many kinds of knowledge: facts, scientific theories, statistics, and intuitions to name a few. All of these are subject to context and interpretation, and they can be accurate or misleading. Our politicians are not ignorant, but they are probably cheating in the knowledge game.

The study of knowledge and how to achieve accuracy in understanding the world is called epistemology, and a basic course in how to interpret facts and information is sadly lacking in our education. So let's talk about the mistakes we make, and how we could become better at forming our understanding of the world.

Excerpt

The study of knowledge and how to achieve accuracy in understanding the world is called epistemology, and a basic course in how to interpret facts and information is sadly lacking in our education. So let's talk about the mistakes we make, and how we could become better at forming our understanding of the world.

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