What is knowledge?

[Welsh cake]

I prefer to rely on common knowledge within a shared reality with everyone else, I still can't claim absolute certainty except for trivial matters, like 2 + 2 = 4 and so on, but it's the only sure reliable way to "know" anything or at least have a feeling or certainty about. Besides the concept of absolute knowledge is laughable, it honestly isn't worth the time people obsessing over

Practical knowledge, meaningful knowledge, that is to the best of our shared knowledge, for example, the strength of Planet Earth's gravitational field can be expressed as g = 9.81 m/s2 = 32.2 ft/s2 and so on, should be what we all adopt in our lives to help us all discern fact from fantasy.

And if the natural phenomenon you hold knowledge on is incorrect, no biggie, just keep changing the knowledge until it provides a better explanation of the phenomena. Simple.

[Fluké]

Faith is a reasonable position inherently.

Belief that lacks evidence is reasonable?! :S

If I do not have faith that our orbit around the sun and revolutions will continue every day... then I've got precious little to count on, and am easy prey for death and suffering.

There's plenty of evidence for that of course... so you are not having faith by believing it. It certainly doesn't lack evidence.

EvF

Don't you need faith in the confidence of the faculties (eyesight, memory or intelligence) in order to have and believe such evidence?

Saerules was making the point that on some level the reailty of the universe (in terms of truths) requires faith.

[Edwardo Piet]

But it's only faith if you lack evidence. As in, if your evidence is insufficient - if your belief is irrational.

And your experience from your life so far, that your senses are reliable, is evidence to their validity. Certainly nothing lacking in evidence there. Far from it.

And the senses have been studied by science you know... as well as scientists using them to observe the world when they apply the scientific method

Belief that doesn't lack evidence is just trusting in the evidence. "Faith" is different to trust. You can trust in anything, but "faith" also carries the religious connotation - and of lacking evidence. "Faith" goes further than merely trusting. Trusting can be rational or irrational. Faith, being belief that lacks evidence - is necessarily irrational in the definition I'm using. And I use this definition to seperate it from trust because trust is broader, and if you're going to use "faith" to simply mean "trust" which is a lot broader and not irrational belief that lacks evidence, then why don't you just say "trust"? It confuses issues less if you say "trust" because "faith" can be thought of as religious faith, as lacking evidence, as irrational, etc.. - whereas trust is just trust.

EvF

[ib.me.ub]

knowl·edge   /ˈnɒlɪdʒ/ Show Spelled[nol-ij]

–noun
1.acquaintance with facts, truths, or principles, as from study or investigation; general erudition: knowledge of many things.
2.familiarity or conversance, as with a particular subject or branch of learning: A knowledge of accounting was necessary for the job.
3.acquaintance or familiarity gained by sight, experience, or report: a knowledge of human nature.
4.the fact or state of knowing; the perception of fact or truth; clear and certain mental apprehension.
5.awareness, as of a fact or circumstance: He had knowledge of her good fortune.
6.something that is or may be known; information: He sought knowledge of her activities.
7.the body of truths or facts accumulated in the course of time.
8.the sum of what is known: Knowledge of the true situation is limited.
9.Archaic. sexual intercourse.Compare carnal knowledge.
–adjective
10.creating, involving, using, or disseminating special knowledge or information: A computer expert can always find a good job in the knowledge industry.
—Idiom
11.to one's knowledge, according to the information available to one: To my knowledge he hasn't been here before.

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