“Theories of Knowledge”
Wed., 4/3/02
PHL 202, Prof. Borrowdale

I. What is truth?

1. Possible definitions

a. What is provable
b. The facts
c. What people agree on
d. Perception (Protagoras-Relationist)
e. Belief
f. The opposite of false

2. Plato: “The false calls things that are not as if they were.”

3. Correspondence Theory of Truth: “What corresponds with reality.”

a. X is true
b. I know (it is known) that X is true

4. Truth is a quality which applies to:

a. Sentences-Linguistic in nature
b. Beliefs-Mental
c. Propositions-Logical (expressed in sentences and beliefs)
· Example of Proposition;
Proposition: “I speak French”
(Prof. Borrowdale says/writes)
Sentence: “I speak French” or “je parle le francais”
(Written in French)
Belief: Prof. Borrowdale speaks French
(Someone thinks)

II. Knowledge entails truth

1. True belief + ?

a. ? = Justification: -Reasons-Evidence-Proof