Epistemology - Subject Specific Vocabulary (A-level Philosophy)

Oct 20, 2026

Uploaded by Ophelia

Subject specific vocabulary covering core Epistemology terminology used in an A-level Philosophy specification. Each entry provides a clear definition and, where relevant, links terms to key philosophers and debates. Topics include a posteriori and a priori arguments and knowledge, varieties of justification such as intuition and coherence, and distinctions like analytic truth versus contingent truth. It also addresses major positions such as empiricism, direct realism, Berkeley’s idealism, global scepticism, and classic sceptical arguments, ending with foundational concepts such as ideas in Hume.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages9

Reading Time23 min

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Epistemology subject vocabulary

A posteriori and a priori concepts

Knowledge types and justification

Analytic truth, contingent truth, and coherence

Major philosophical positions and scepticism

Descartes, Locke, Berkeley, and Hume terms

Subject specific vocabulary: Epistemology The following subject specific vocabulary provides definitions of key Epistemology terms used in our A-level Philosophy: 7172 specification. Your students should be familiar with, and gain understanding from all these terms. A posteriori argument An argument in which at least one premise is a posteriori. A posteriori knowledge Propositional knowledge acquired from/justified by experience. A priori argument An argument in which all of the premises are a priori. A priori intuition A belief which is (1) non-inferentially justified (you do not infer an intuition from something else that you believe) and (2) a priori/‘rational’ (i.e. justified without the need for experience/s) . For Descartes, the cogito (I am, I exist) is an example of an a priori intuition. A priori knowledge Propositional knowledge not acquired from/not justified by experience. Ability knowledge Knowing how to perform/complete a task/action. (For example, knowing how to swim.) Acquaintance knowledge Knowing X (a place/thing/person) by [direct] contact (normally through experience) with X. For example, knowing the taste of pineapple/how pineapple tastes. Analytic truth A proposition whose truth depends only upon the meanings of its constituent terms/concepts. (For example, vixens are female foxes) Berkeley's idealism The (immaterialist) view that the immediate objects of perception (i.e. ordinary objects such as tables, chairs, etc) are mind-dependent objects (caused by God). All that exists is minds and their ideas. Clear and distinct idea (Descartes) A concept/belief for which (a) its content/truth is obvious to an attentive mind (it is clear) and (b) any concepts/beliefs not belonging to it are excluded from it (it is distinct) . Cogito (Descartes) One's knowledge of one's own existence- "I am, I exist". An a priori intuition which (according to Descartes) is the foundation of one's other knowledge and is undoubtable (it survives sceptical doubt/arguments) . Coherence of various kinds of experience (Locke and Cockburn) The fact that perceptual experiences from the different senses contain the same/similar information (coherence as corroboration-Locke) or, at least, change in reliable/regular/predictable ways (coherence as covariation-Cockburn) . Used as a reason for thinking that there is an external world that best explains this coherence. Complex concept/idea A concept which (a) can be analysed in terms of other, ultimately simple, concepts and (b) need not be the direct effect of experiences. Concept A constituent of a thought/proposition. Contingent truth A proposition that is true in the actual world but false in at least one possible world (i.e. it could have been false) . Deduction (Descartes) By "deduction" Descartes meant an argument that is (a) deductive and (b) a priori. Descartes’ sceptical arguments / ‘waves of doubt’ The arguments that Descartes uses as part of his method of doubt: (1) the "illusion" argument- illusions show that we cannot trust our experiences (at least in terms of near/large objects),(2) the "dreaming" argument/hypothesis-it is impossible to rule out the hypothesis that I am dreaming now and (3) the "evil deceiver/demon" argument/hypothesis-that it is impossible to rule out the hypothesis that an evil being has complete control of my thoughts and experiences. Direct realism The view that the immediate objects of perception are mind-independent objects and their properties. (This involves (a) realism (the view that mind-independent material/physical objects and their properties exist) and (b) directness (the view that we perceive these mindindependent objects immediately.) Empiricism The view that (a) all of our concepts are ultimately caused by experience; there are no innate concepts (concept empiricism) and (b) all synthetic knowledge is a posteriori (the justification is dependent on experience); the

FAQs

What is the difference between a posteriori and a priori knowledge?

A posteriori knowledge is propositional knowledge acquired from and justified by experience. A priori knowledge is propositional knowledge not acquired from, and not justified by, experience.

How does empiricism describe concepts and synthetic knowledge?

Empiricism holds that all concepts are ultimately caused by experience and that there are no innate concepts. It also claims that all synthetic knowledge is a posteriori, leaving no synthetic a priori knowledge.

What are Gettier’s counter-examples meant to show?

They aim to show that the conditions of the tripartite view are not jointly sufficient for knowledge. In such cases, a person has justified true belief yet still does not know the proposition.

Oct 20, 2026

Uploaded by Ophelia