
Rationale > Knowledge

Knowledge

Knowledge can be defined as justified true belief.

This view of knowledge is suited to propositions, that is statements that affirm that something is true or false. We have a different concept of knowledge in mind when we speak of 'knowing how to ride a bike', or 'knowing the Parramatta area well'.

To count as knowledge, a proposition must be:

True: it must actually be true, as opposed to simply believed. False propositions cannot count as knowledge.
Believed: you must actually believe that the proposition is true. Without subjective conviction there is no knowledge.
Justified: you must have the right kind of justification for your belief. It must be reasonable or rational for you to take the proposition as true: it isn't enough to be accidentally right, or to claim that something is true on the basis of some unreliable or non-evidence-based process.

All three of these conditions must be met.

Let's try a practice exercise...

Sort the white boxes into categories according to whether the beliefs they contain are knowledge, true but unjustified beliefs, false but justified beliefs, or beliefs that are both false and unjustified.

Click on the image to open it in the editor. Note: editor will open in a new window.

After you've finished this exercise click on this thumbnail to see the model answer:

This material has been developed independently of the International Baccalaureate, which in no way endorses it.