@ACB,
ACB wrote:
1. Knowledge is justified true belief.
2. We cannot be absolutely certain of any facts about the world.
Therefore, when I say "I know that Paris is the capital of France", I mean "I justifiably believe that Paris is the capital of France beyond reasonable doubt". In other words, "I justifiably believe it is so, but I could (theoretically) be wrong".
But I only know that Paris is the capital of France if it actually is. So if I say that I know it, I am asserting the following:
(a) Paris is the capital of France.
(b) I believe Paris is the capital of France, but I could be wrong.
Thus I am asserting:
(a) Paris is the capital of France.
(c) It may be false that Paris is the capital of France.
But (a) and (c) are contradictory. Necessarily, if Paris is the capital of France, it is true that it is the capital of France.
Therefore, if we assert that we know (rather than just "probably know") some empirical fact, we are implying a contradiction. We cannot meaningfully make a bald assertion that we know an empirical fact.
Let me be clear that if Paris is indeed the capital of France, then we do in fact know it. But, since there is theoretical doubt, it is contradictory to assert that we know it.
Any comments?
So if I say that I know it, I am asserting the following:
(a) Paris is the capital of France.
(b) I believe Paris is the capital of France, but I could be wrong.
Where does the "so" come from? In any case, that is not what you are asserting. You are asserting, at least, that your belief that Paris is the capital is true and justified. You are not asserting that you could be wrong. Why should you be asserting that?
(a) Paris is the capital of France.
(c) It may be false that Paris is the capital of France.
First, I did not say that it was true that Paris is the capital, and it may be false that Paris is the capital. I said that Paris is the capital, but it (still) might be false that Paris is the capital. (Let me just mention, because I do not want further to confuse the issue that there is a difference between "may be false" and "might be false". "May be false" means that there is actually some evidence that it is false. But "might be false" means only that it falsity is not self-contradictory. "Might" even according to the dictionary, indicates bare possibility). So, what is not contradictory is are, Paris is the capital, and it is logically possible that Paris is not the capital. And those two sentences not only do not contradict each other, but both of them are true. Since the first states that Paris is the capital, and the second merely states that it is not Paris is not the capital is not a self-contradiction. And both of those statements are true. Paris is the capital, and Paris is not the capital is not a self-contradiction.
Let me be clear that if Paris is indeed the capital of France, then we do in fact know it. But, since there is theoretical doubt, it is contradictory to assert that we know it.
First of all, it does not follow from the fact that Paris is the capital that anyone knows it is the capital. True propositions need not be known, although all propositions that are known are true. Again I do not know what a "theoretical doubt it", but let's suppose that (as Descartes argued ) if I believe that Paris is the capital, but if it is possible that I am dreaming, then I do not know that Paris is the capital. I think that argument is fallacious since the mere fact that I might be dreaming, and therefore, that I might be mistaken when I believe that Paris is the capital, is not a good reason for thinking that I do not know that Paris is the capital. And I say that (and please pardon me for repeating what I have said so many times before) the fact that I
might be wrong is not (by itself) a reason for thinking that I
am wrong , but only if I think I am wrong do I know know that Paris is the capital. And, no reason has been given to think that I
am wrong. To repeat. The
possibility of error is no reason for thinking I do not know what I believe I know. It is the actuality of error that is a reason for thinking I do not know what I believe I know. But the possibility of error is, of course, a good reason for thinking that I am not
certain of what I believe I know. (I am certain that p, but I might be wrong, is self-contradictory) But I know that p but it is possible that I am wrong (for it is possible that p is false) is not a contradiction. I am afraid that despite your denials, you are confusing knowledge with certainty.
If you hold that when you assert that you know that p, but that it is possible that p is false, you are saying something contradictory, that is because you think that the sentence "it is possible that p is false" means not that it is logically possible that p is false, but that it is epistemically possible that p is false. But that is simply to misunderstand what is meant by asserting that p can be known, but it is possible that p is false.
Philosophy is hard.