What is the relationship of knowledge to belief? How does that impact actions regarding others? For example, if I know that my brother cheats on his taxes, does that oblige me to anything? Does it depend on who I am (say, if I were an IRS agent vs. just a sibling vs. a prosecutor)?
What standards are there for knowledge? How might naturalized epistemology or social epistemology approaches provide answers here? Is there one standard for knowledge, another for belief? Or, is there one standard for knowledge in one context (low stakes) and another standards in a different, higher stakes context? Danielle will love this question, no doubt!
If you know that your brother cheats on his taxes you do not have to report him. I believe that it depends on who you are. If you are an IRS agent then you may or may not be obliged to say anything. If your job depends on it and you have a family that depends on that job, then yes, you need to say something. The need to support and provide for your family takes higher rank than saving your brothers cheating butt. It all depends on the situation as to whether you are obliged to say anything about the knowledge you hold.
ReplyDeleteI think that belief is one of the most important characteristics of knowledge. I don't know how anyone can no something without believing it. I think that if you know that your brother cheats on his taxes you are not obligated to tell. At first I would also like to say that your obligations depend on who you are but I have a problem with making that statement. I don't like the idea that a behavior can be okay for one person and not okay for another person. I think that standards of behavior should be universal and apply to all competent adults regardless of their occupation.
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