epistemology

/ɪˌpɪstəˈmɑləʤi/

Other forms: epistemologies

Epistemology is the study of knowledge: what we know, how we know it, how we know we know it, and how to keep track of it without driving ourselves crazy.

You might be wondering if epistemology is just a hobby for people who know too much for their own good, but epistemology has a lot of uses. The study of knowledge leads to the study of learning, which leads to better methods of teaching. The study of knowledge helps us understand our cultural differences, which helps us all get along. Probably the coolest use of epistemology, though, is artificial intelligence: teaching computers how to learn.

Definitions of epistemology

1. noun

   the philosophical theory of knowledge
   types:

   methodological analysis, methodology

   the branch of philosophy that analyzes the principles and procedures of inquiry in a particular discipline

   type of:

   philosophy

   the rational investigation of questions about existence and knowledge and ethics