PHILOSOPHY - Epistemology: Analyzing Knowledge #1 (The Gettier Problem) [HD]

Is knowledge the same as justified true belief? In this Wireless Philosophy video, Jennifer Nagel (University of Toronto) discusses a Gettier case, a scenario in which someone has justified true belief but not knowledge. We’ll look at a Gettier case from Edmund Gettier’s famous 1963 paper on this topic, and a structurally similar case from 8th century Classical Indian philosophy.

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Help us caption & translate this video!

[DaveMuller]

I am SO GLAD this channel is back to life, and with a Jennifer Nagel video too.

[natewolshuck]

So glad to see a new video from this channel! Keep up the good work

[JM-usfr]

My issue with gettier scenarios isn’t about the level justification, but the extent to which we specify our belief. In a lot of these scenarios, if the person was just a little more specific, then JTB would rule it out as not being knowledge. This is more a problem of language.

[rcampbell]

Gettier wasn't in a hurry to publish this paper, his colleagues in the philosophy department at Wayne State University cajoled and convinced him to publish so he finally did - in a small, Spanish language publication where he expected to never hear about it again. Funny how that turned out.

[smaakjeks]

The job example:
Smith's ACTUAL belief is that Jones will get the job because of the company president giving that impression, and independently of that, he believes Jones has 10 coins in his pocket. Smith doesn't believe that ANY man with 10 coins in their pocket is a candidate for getting the job. The "man" in Smith's belief that "the man who has 10 coins in his pocket will get the job" is simply Jones. Within context, Smith believes a thing that isn't true: That Jones who has 10 coins will get the job.

The clock example:
Smith's ACTUAL belief is that the particular clock on the wall is a functioning clock that is keeping accurate enough time. Smith does not point out that he believes that every clock works, or that clocks are never showing correct time by chance. Smith's belief about that particular clock is not true, and therefore not justified true belief. It's somewhat justified wrong belief. The problem is resolved just with describing the full belief and not just a part of it.

The fire example:
The person's ACTUAL belief is that the swarm is smoke, and that the "smoke" comes from a fire. This is not true, and is therefore not justified true belief. It's somewhat justified wrong belief.


I don't see the big problem this causes to epistemology... It's word games. But what do I know, I'm not a philosopher.

[annp]

This channel needs to focus more on getting the philosophical content correct and focus less on making cartoons.

[surendrathapa]

The thought experiment is absurd, no one takes a belief of the form "the man with 10 coins will get the job" which is general, we rather think in ways like "the guy jones who i met that had 10 coins" an impression of several events and sensations that cannot be summarized by a simple statement.

[Bugy]

I think if you have true justification then the proposition is true. This is distinct from knowing, because you may not believe the proposition.

[edvardkvist]

Thank you for these videos, they're a great video compliment for your very short introduction book!

[lowlize]

There can be no Gettier Problem if you cannot properly define "justified". I argue than in none of the examples the true belief was actually "justified".

[danieldumas]

Why, of all words, was "justified" used in this JTB analyses of knowledge?
Killing is in self defense is "justified", ergo Not does "suspended belief" come in???

[akrititiwari]

Thanks for considering the mention of Indian Philosophy and giving it apt credit.

[kintugee]

subtract "justified" from JTB. Problem solved.
If I have money, why does it matter how I got it? The facts is that I have money.

[maddie]

Wireless Philosophy? Now that's a name I haven't heard in a long time...

[lwazivanstaden]

That's not how the Gettier Cases were presented in his paper at all

[sjoerd]

It is not a difficult philosophical problem. The difficulty is knowing the quality of the knowledge, being how reliable it is. Thus, the scientific approach.

[sosunfreak]

Not me having a full blown sad storm when I found out Gettier died this year (through this video)...

[anitkythera]

Nice! Plans for the follow up videos?

[jeffcd]

Is he saying the it is justified because there is a causal relationship between the coins in the pocket and getting the job? If not, then how is he justified? What relationship between having the coins and getting the job exists that is something other than coincidental that would rate it as a justification?

[quocthinhluu]

But how did the company know the candidates got coins in their pocket ?