1 Way For Attaining Knowledge

Mr. Gettier realized there was a problem with the original Justified True Belief (JTB) account we discussed a few blog posts ago, here is a link to read more. This post we will learn about the steps Mr. Gettier took to solve the problem for justified true beliefs. This allows a person to know the proper process for attaining knowledge. By using the defeasibility approach mixed with a redundancy issue to finally present an account to form knowledge.

To attain knowledge while getting around Mr. Gettier's problem we need a fourth condition, which is referred to in the book as the defeasibility approach. We provided information and an example of the defeasibility approach in our last post in regards to relationships. A defeasibility approach essentially keeps an argument true, so long as there are no propositions to factually defeat the total system of evidence.

As satisfying as the defeasibility approach/condition is a JTB account is now redundant. In the sense these four conditions: truth, belief, justification and defeasibilty are conflicting. The conditions on their own hold, but the truth condition and the defeasibility condition clash, making the defeasibility condition redundant. For the reason that a defeasibility approach entails the truth condition.

Mr. Gettier fixes this and amends the previous justified true belief account that was presented at the beginning of the book. He did this by removing the truth condition allowing an account to remain a JTB account, so long as:

S knows that p if and only if
(1) S believes that p;
(2) S has justifying evidence for believing that p;
(3) there is no proposition d that factually defeats S's evidence for believing that p.

Allowing us to remove the truth condition well satisfying a justified true belief.

Solving the Gettier problem by presenting a defeasibility condition for a JTB, and a satisfied process for attaining a wealth of knowledge. Which, makes sense as an argument can remain true one second and turn out to be false with new discovered evidence the next. Showing us one way for a justified true belief to become knowledge.

To be clear, I am taking notes from a book titled An Introduction to Contemporary Epistemology by Matthias Steup; if you need a copy to follow along click on the the title in this sentence and a link will direct you. ISBN 0-13-037095-9

Reference:
Steup, Matthias. An Introduction to Contemporary Epistemology. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1996. Print.