Philosophy and thinking of Edmund Gettier

Edmund Gettier is an influential figure in contemporary philosophy, primarily known for his work in epistemology—the study of knowledge and justified belief. His most notable contribution is encapsulated in a brief paper titled "Is Justified True Belief Knowledge?" published in 1963. This paper prompted extensive debate and reevaluation of the traditional definition of knowledge. ### Gettier's Problem 1. **Traditional Definition of Knowledge**: Prior to Gettier, knowledge was commonly defined as "justified true belief." According to this definition, for someone to know a proposition (let's call it P), three criteria must be met: - **Belief**: The individual believes P. - **Truth**: P is true. - **Justification**: The individual has justification for believing P. 2. **Gettier's Counterexamples**: Gettier presented situations where a person has a justified true belief that intuitively does not qualify as knowledge. These examples typically feature a scenario where one’s justification for believing a proposition leads to a conclusion that is accidentally true. Here’s a simplified version of one of his examples: - **Example**: Suppose Smith has strong evidence for the proposition "The man who will get the job has ten coins in his pocket" because he sees Jones, who Smith believes will get the job, pulling coins from his pocket. Based on this, Smith concludes, "The man who will get the job has ten coins in his pocket." Unbeknownst to Smith, Jones does not get the job; instead, Smith himself gets the job, and he happens to have ten coins in his pocket. While Smith's belief is justified, true, and he believes it, it seems wrong to say he "knows" it because the truth of his belief was coincidental. ### Impact on Epistemology Gettier’s paper has had significant ramifications for epistemology and the philosophy of knowledge, leading to what is often referred to as the "Gettier Problem." Key impacts include: - **Reevaluation of Knowledge**: Philosophers began to search for additional criteria or conditions that would have to be satisfied for a belief to count as knowledge. This led to various proposals, including the idea of "reliabilism," which suggests that beliefs must be produced by a reliable process. - **Discussion of Justification**: Gettier's work spurred deeper discussions about the nature and types of justification, leading to a more nuanced understanding of what it means for a belief to be justified. - **Continued Philosophical Inquiry**: The Gettier Problem remains a central topic in epistemology, prompting ongoing debates and discussions about the nature of knowledge, belief, and justification. It has led to efforts to refine or replace the traditional definition of knowledge beyond justified true belief, exploring concepts such as "safety," "closure," and the role of epistemic luck. ### Conclusion Edmund Gettier's contribution to philosophy represents a pivotal moment in the study of knowledge, reshaping how philosophers think about the relationship between belief, truth, and justification. His work continues to inspire and provoke thought within epistemology, ensuring that the exploration of what constitutes knowledge remains a dynamic and evolving field.