Jim Henderson wrote:
> Actually, though, "knowledge" comes in two ways, I think - first, through 
> the act of learning, and secondly through an instinctive certainty. 

I think you're mistaken, except to the extent that instinctive certainty 
gives you knowledge of instinctive processes. I'll grant you that you can 
know you're hungry via "instinctive certainty", but not about how the 
universe started.

> I've 
> always considered "belief" to be something that is "knowledge gained 
> instinctively, with such a certainty that it forms a basis for what you 
> do in your life".  

I wouldn't call that knowledge, and it's generally not how the word is defined.

The philosophers like to say it's "justified true belief", and without the 
justification, you just have a "good guess".

> but I do consider many people I know who are religious to 
> have this kind of certainty about their beliefs - a certainty that makes 
> it "knowledge" from their point of view.

I think arguing that faith is knowledge for "some people" is just diluting 
the term.

What do you call knowledge that's the kind that's actually congruent with 
the real world?  I.e., not the "instinctive" knowledge?

-- 
   Darren New, San Diego CA, USA (PST)
   "We'd like you to back-port all the changes in 2.0
    back to version 1.0."
   "We've done that already. We call it 2.0."

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