Nature of Knowledge Essay

In the study of companionship we distinguish flirtween get it onledge by acquaintance, in essence to k this instant someone or know of something. Ability knowledge is for example to know how to swim or how to reproof a bike. And, our main concern, propositional knowledge that is sentences or statements that can be each true or false. To withdraw knowledge one needs to have a touch and for this precept to be true. The follo earng text entrust launch how true belief, even if it is warrant in a reasonable way, does non suffice for knowledge.Take Nina, she is walking by some expansion slot motorcars in the gambling casino. She feels drawn to one of the machines, and believes it is her lucky day and that she result win because of the nice appealing colors on the slot machine. She places her bet, the wheels tress and account up three lucky 7s, she wins and her belief turns out to be a true one. But while her belief being true, intuitively this do non suffice for know ledge, as it is easy to ascribe this win to pure chance.Even if different suppositions may justify Ninas belief in winning, it is natural to think that what Nina lacks in this situation to have knowledge, is justification. And likewise for this justification to be strong enough for Nina to be a quick of scent being in believe she pass on win, without need to turn to fanaticism or vagueness to explain her belief. But even if Nina where to have a justified true belief, which she formed in a rational way, it is easy to show that this neither suffice for knowledge.Say Nina is a con girl, she has conjuringed the manager of the slot machine manufacturer to give her a manual, showing all the results the machine can produce, together with a consequent number for each spin which is also displayed on the slot machine. So it is easy to look gloomy in the manual what the next result will be. It is noon and Nina is now standing in front of the slot machine in the casino. She reads the se rial number in the display and matches it in her manual.The next spin will line up three lucky 7s and win. She places her bet and spins the wheel. Unbeknown to Nina there was an error when printing the manual so all the numbers are mixed up, making the manual useless. And this day the casino owner celebrates his 60th birthday by letting all the machines go off program at noon and give every place bet at that time the three lucky 7s line up. Ninas justified belief turned out to be true, but due to lucky and unlucky circumstances we do not ascribe knowledge to Nina in this situation.Nina was responsible and rational when forming her belief, considering she went the length to trick the boss to give her the manual to see which spins win. If her goal is to win at slots, she was responsible when gathering evidence and responsible and rational in believing her evidence.And even if this example showed that an agent with a justified true belief formed in a rational and responsible way, do n ot necessarily have knowledge. It is easy to see that even if the agent lacks knowledge, she will often be successful in reaching her goals, because of the rational way she gains justification for her beliefs. Though it is not sufficient or may not even be necessary to have justified true beliefs when try to grasp the nature of knowledge.BibliographyPritchard D. (2006) What is this thing called knowledge?, Routledge, Oxon