Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun The branch of philosophy that examines the nature of knowledge, its presuppositions and foundations, and its extent and validity.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun The theory of cognition; that branch of logic which undertakes to explain how knowledge is possible. Probably first used by Ferrier.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun The theory or science of the method or grounds of knowledge.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun uncountable The branch of philosophy dealing with the study of knowledge; theory of knowledge, asking such questions as "What is knowledge?", "How is knowledge acquired?", "What do people know?", "How do we know what we know?".
  • noun countable A particular theory of knowledge.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun the philosophical theory of knowledge

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Greek epistēmē, knowledge (from epistasthai, epistē-, to understand : epi-, epi- + histasthai, middle voice of histanai, to place, determine; see stā- in Indo-European roots) + –logy.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Ancient Greek ἐπιστήμη (epistēmē, "science, knowledge"), from ἐπίσταμαι (epistamai, "I know") + -λογία (logia, "discourse"), from λέγω (legō, "I speak"). The term was introduced into English by the Scottish philosopher James Frederick Ferrier (1808-1864).

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Examples

  • What they recognized was that embedded in epistemology is a fundamental metaphysical component whose ultimate function is to provide a framework and strategies for creating well-being in society.

    Societies, Religion, and History: Central East Tanzanians and the World They Created, c. 200 BCE to 1800 CE 2008

  • What seems to be happening in "The Paper" is that Sunstein and Vermeule are confusing the term epistemology with "belief system" which is a subject similar to "ideology" and is way beyond the scope of epistemology.

    The Agonist - thoughtful, global, timely 2010

  • For this reason, it seems desirable to abandon the old distinction between formal and material, to designate as logic what was formerly called formal logic, and to reserve the term epistemology for that portion of philosophy which, while inquiring into the value of human knowledge in general, covers the ground which was the domain of material logic.

    The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 9: Laprade-Mass Liturgy 1840-1916 1913

  • Only the revolution of Descartes in epistemology and the revolution of Nietzsche in ethics might be thought to rival that of Kant in being radical.

    Religion 2009

  • Only the revolution of Descartes in epistemology and the revolution of Nietzsche in ethics might be thought to rival that of Kant in being radical.

    Ignatius Press 2009

  • Only the revolution of Descartes in epistemology and the revolution of Nietzsche in ethics might be thought to rival that of Kant in being radical.

    Introducing Kant 2009

  • Only the revolution of Descartes in epistemology and the revolution of Nietzsche in ethics might be thought to rival that of Kant in being radical.

    Books 2009

  • Only the revolution of Descartes in epistemology and the revolution of Nietzsche in ethics might be thought to rival that of Kant in being radical.

    Philosophy 2009

  • Only the revolution of Descartes in epistemology and the revolution of Nietzsche in ethics might be thought to rival that of Kant in being radical.

    Insight Scoop | The Ignatius Press Blog: 2009

  • Only the revolution of Descartes in epistemology and the revolution of Nietzsche in ethics might be thought to rival that of Kant in being radical.

    New Releases 2009

  • Why it has seemed otherwise is because epistemology – the way we know about things – has been confused with metaphysics – the way things are.

    Saul Kripke obituary Jane O’Grady 2022

Comments

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  • The most fascinating (albeit confusing) subject I have ever studied.

    December 16, 2006

  • That depends on what you mean by "I."

    December 16, 2006

  • Touché ;)

    December 16, 2006

  • Nietzsche

    August 20, 2010