Hi Mike,

I asked your opinion on whether you think we can know something without being able to prove it. Your response seems to answer a different question -- something like, How can you convince others that you know something? Your answer was roughly that you can convince others by providing a proof.

I am trying to get at something more basic. I want to know what it even means to know something. And then, knowing that, I would like to know how we acquire knowledge.

Assuming that someone knows something, and that they can prove it, then I suppose you could come to know that particular something by studying their proof. But, is there any other way to come to know something? If not, how did that guy with the proof come to know what he claims to know?

Warm regards,

Paul

• Proof is over-rated as a way of knowing we know... - kantolfir2 - July 12, 2002 - 05:30 UTC
  • I meant "fuzzy weighted averages" etc. - kantolfir2 - July 12, 2002 - 05:34 UTC
    • Proof is definitely overrated - pmartin - July 12, 2002 - 16:12 UTC
      • I disagree that we don't agree and agree that we don't disagree - carefuluniverse - July 13, 2002 - 03:43 UTC
        • I agree. (nt) - pmartin - July 13, 2002 - 17:59 UTC
      • Power is not necessarily knowledge - carefuluniverse - July 13, 2002 - 20:30 UTC
        • Then we need another word for it - pmartin - July 14, 2002 - 02:23 UTC
          • My Neologizer is on the bindimch right now, so.... - carefuluniverse - July 14, 2002 - 03:28 UTC
            • Boredom and Knowledge - pmartin - July 14, 2002 - 05:48 UTC