The authority JV's thought is easily aquired, whoever seems strong.["prison"].
I like the question of epistemology , it validates our beliefs. how many times I have to remind posters here that "we don't know" some things, and that many things are not knowable.
Would you agree that there are things that do not have an objective basis? Some questions, like 'inifinty' , are merely ideas due to the lack of objectiveness around them and due to our limitations as humans also.So far...
Various viewpoints and variable mental abilities have created a situation where some people can know things that others cannot.
This often gets confused with the things nobody can know, but someone will say they do know, but its merely a matter of faith that they think they know it.
Objective diagnosis in medical conditions is the same thing. BAck pain can be said to be not real; some people know its real despite having no objective tests for it [it hurts!]; and whether or not the doctor thinks its real is a matter of epistemology. He can be wrong too, if he has limited himself by depending too much on a narrow framework of tests and observations.
So then there are things we cannot know, but its not the same for everyone; and there are things that are the same for everyone in that it cannot be known, we absolutely cannot know.
I've allways thought that the existence of god [this forum's name, BTW!]was like the last one where it cannot be known due to the subject matter unless god presented himself a negative cannot be proven.
Some do claim to know that god exists. Epistomologically,if it is to be objective that is, this is a problem, there is nothing to go on other than subjective observations, nothing objective.
So then to say it is true when in fact "WE DO NOT KNOW" is not going to help anyone.
Kartoon Mycojackson
--------------------
def -
e·pis·te·mol·o·gy ( P ) Pronunciation Key (-pst-ml-j)
n.
The branch of philosophy that studies the nature of knowledge, its presuppositions and foundations, and its extent and validity.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Greek epistm, knowledge (from epistasthai, epist-, to understand : epi-, epi- + histasthai, middle voice of histanai, to place, determine; see st- in Indo-European Roots) + -logy.]