The Continuum Between Knowledge and Ignorance

§3.2

To get a sense of the continuum between knowing something and being wholly ignorant of it, it helps to consider some examples. Let’s start with the following scenario: While walking across the quad one day at 8:00am, you see someone at a distance whom you almost recognize as your acquaintance Bob, but you lose sight of him before you can be sure. If you had gotten a better look at the man and recognized him as Bob, then you would know that Bob was on the quad at 8:00am.7 As things stand, however, you do not know it. Still, you are not in the same position with respect to the proposition “Bob was on the quad at 8:00am” as you would be if you hadn’t seen what you did. Your experience on the quad gives you some reason to believe the proposition, without making you certain of it.

Notice that you might go on to use this proposition in arguments. Suppose, for example, that a bank robbery was committed in Manhattan at 8:03 and Bob was suspected of being behind the wheel of the getaway car. If you knew that Bob was on the quad at 8:00, you could be certain, via the following argument, that these allegations are false.

As things stand, however, you do not know Proposition 2, and so you do not know the conclusion, Proposition 3. But, because you have some reason to believe Proposition 2, you have some reason to believe the conclusion as well. Perhaps, then, you should go to the police and make a statement. If you do, how much weight should the police give to your testimony? Let’s consider some of the questions that they might ask you (and that you could ask of yourself):

For how long did you see him? At what distance? How good was the visibility? Did you focus on him, or was he in the periphery of your vision? How familiar are you with Bob’s appearance in the first place? Is it based on vision alone that you think you recognized him, or did you hear his voice as well, or smell that unusual cologne that he’s always wearing?

First paragraph.

Second paragraph.