epistemology

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   The branch of philosophy dealing with the study of knowledge; the 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?", "How do we know it is true?", and so on.

   Some thinkers take the view that, beginning with the work of Descartes, epistemology began to replace metaphysics as the most important area of philosophy.

2. 2
   noun

   A particular instance, version, or school thereof; a particular theory of knowledge.

   In his epistemology, Plato maintains that our knowledge of universal concepts is a kind of recollection.

3. 3
   noun

   the philosophical theory of knowledge

From Ancient Greek ἐπιστήμη (epistḗmē, “science, knowledge”), from ἐπίσταμαι (epístamai, “to know”) + -λογία (-logía, “study or logic of”), from λόγος (lógos, “speech, language”). The term was introduced into English by Scottish philosopher James Frederick Ferrier (1808–1864).

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