Week 4: Pragmatism and Epistemology

Pragmatism and Feminist Epistemology both challenge the view of knowledge as a detached, intellectual activity. Do you think they are right? How do you think we should think about knowledge? Now that we have concluded the section on epistemology, write about what kind of thing you think knowledge is.


Pragmatism and Feminist Epistemology are two varied concepts of philosophy but both agree on one thing, knowledge is gained through outside sources (experience, belief, observation, society, religion, etc.). As i was reading these two different approaches to philosophy they were easy to relate to and I would have to agree with them in terms of challenging the view of humans gaining knowledge as a detached and intellectual activity.

Pragmatism follows a structure on knowledge that serves the general idea that the meaning of our beliefs are the actions that they result in. This philosophical approach to knowledge is very straight forward and informing in a practical manner. This basic belief is not any definitive phenomenon however it is something that many people go by. If a belief you go by works for you in practice and successfully guides your actions in reality, the belief has been proven true by experience. If not you can work on adjusting the belief to make it a better belief. I strongly agree with this because truths in ones mind must be validated and verified by one's actions in reality. Gaining knowledge through this philosophical approach is practical and simple to follow using beliefs and ideas as a guide to our future actions.


Feminist Epistemology to me seemed as a modern day inquiry to the publishing's of philosophy based on subjective views of influence (sex, gender, society, religion, etc.). Feminists' reflect the ways that gender did and does influence our mental concepts of knowledge. Emphasizing that subjective matters do influence even the most "objective" works of philosophy. I do have to also agree with this because their points are very evident and true, you can not write an essay without your subjective matters influencing your knowledge. 



All of these theories and topics of knowledge have caught my attention because i either agreed with the logic they provided or disagreed with it. I have certainly taken away with me many things that have shaped my views on knowledge and how it is conceived processed and presented. Socrates, Descartes, Plato, Locke, Pierce, James, Dewey, Garry, Code and all the others have successfully helped me explore the theories of epistemology, and from each person i take away something different. Whether it be arguments of truth and liberation or rationalism and skeptics i have learned that knowledge in my eyes is a little bit of all of these aspects put together. 


I believe we should think about knowledge as a process, it is not something that is instantly attained. It is a gradual development in mental growth throughout life.