Epistemology

[Osiris]

Knowledge is the awareness and understanding of facts, truths or information gained in the form of experience or learning (a posteriori), or through introspection (a priori). Knowledge is an appreciation of the possession of interconnected details which, in isolation, are of lesser value.

Knowledge is a term with many meanings depending on context, but is (as a rule) closely related to such concepts as meaning, information, instruction, communication, representation, learning and mental stimulus.

Knowledge is distinct from simple information. Both knowledge and information consist of true statements, but knowledge is information that has a purpose or use. Philosophers would describe this as information associated with intentionality. The study of knowledge is called epistemology.

A common definition of knowledge is that it consists of justified true belief. This definition derives from Plato's Theaetetus. It is considered to set out necessary, but not sufficient, conditions for some statement to count as knowledge.

Question:

At what point do you come to the conclusion that the information you possess is true, especially as it relates to one's spiritual beliefs?

[Jill Monroe]

well..unless im totally misinterpreting your question,

with regards to at least "one form of knowledge" dont we (at least in america) begin our "pursuit of knowledge at age 5-6 when we are put into Kindergarten? we have a minimal required education of grades K thru 12...but during those years, we are mostly expected to believe what we are taught by our teachers and textbooks. I dont think a person REALLY begins a truly deep pursuit of knowlege until college because it is there that your education/experiences are only as good as you make them. the effort you put in to explore schools of thought, daring to research things that you've always wondered about (issues of race, history of how women are treated, america's role in many world events, the evils of organized religion etc) but were never really fully discussed in grade school and highschool.

i think in college and on into adult life is when we definately have the most opportunity to for a personal quest of knowledge and that is when you can fully accept what you learn/discover to be true, as long as you are willing to receive new revelations on any thing that you've studied in times past..because you can always learn more about something, or learn to see it from a new perspective.