Knowledge

Is knowledge about social relations and the environment in which they take place possible? Kirsty Hurt

Comments

That will really depend, won't it, on what you take the standards of knowledge to require. If by "knowledge" you require certainty (as what are called "infallibilists" require), I think you will find that human beings are capable of precious little in the way of knowledge. On the other hand, if you think that knowing something is compatible with fallibility (as "fallibilists" claim), then I don't see why social relations and social environments are not areas in which we can have knowledge. Even if we are fallibilists, however, I think it is reasonable to suppose that knowledge of some subjects might be difficult to achieve, might take substantial study and observation, and so on. In terms of what falls under "social relations," I think it will be easier to know that Jones is my student, for example, than that Jones is my friend.

Here's something I know about this subject: It is very difficult to know that a given person is my One True Love!

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