Unit 2

Epistemology

[Name of the Writer]

[Name of the Institution]

Epistemology

Introduction

Epistemology is considered to be the branch of philosophy which is concerned with the theory of knowledge. In simple words, it can be said that the Epistemology is the study of the rationality, justification, and knowledge of belief (Sosa, 2016). The main areas in epistemology are four. First is the criteria for justification and knowledge. Second is the scope and sources of knowledge and justified belief. The third is the various problems of skepticism. The last and the fourth one os the philosophical analysis of the nature of knowledge along with the way it tends to relate to such concepts such as justification, belief, and truth. The aim of epistemology is to identify the reason behind justified belief.

On the other hand, the epistemological shift is meant to be the changes that are seen in the demarcation between the non-science and science. One thing to be taken into consideration is that such epistemic shifts are considered to be in relation to the paradigm shift. The idea behind the epistemic shift is that it is used in literary, political, and sociological theory (Sosa, 2016).

Analysis of Philosophers

The matter of fact is that in the past most of the people used to rely on the hard form of books. The concerns of philosophers regarding the technological advancement due to the e-book learning is seen to positive. In the current scenario, the philosophers are absolutely right about this shift as the shift tends to serve us with a number of advantages. Ebooks are undoubtedly delivered instantaneously. The advancement in the technology allows a person to purchase, download, and start reading the books within seconds without even leaving the chair. A person who wants to read a book does not necessarily require to go to a bookstore for buying the required reading, and the difficulty of waiting for days and weeks for the arrival is also reduced with this facility for the shift.

In the past, there were a lot of trees that were used to cut down for making papers, and then books. The idea of philosophers is in favor of nature as e-books do not require to cut down any tree. The shift has allowed the teachers and students to sit down and relax at home and read learn whatever they want to without leaving any harm to nature. The option to download at any time, anywhere allows people to get any sort of information they want to.

The shift tends to help the individuals in a number of ways and provides benefits to them as well. A number of ebooks are sold nowadays along with bonuses which a person never get with a printed book. The outcomes of this results in adding value to the purchase. Another important thing to be taken into consideration is the fact that Ebooks take a lot less space. It is to be noted that practically ebooks do not require any space in the room. Moreover, ebooks do not demand a library for storage as well. The shift allows us to store thousands of ebooks within a single reading device.

The shift is so advantageous that it allows the individuals to have a benefit from having something which is portable. Individuals do not require to get worried about any weight. They can go wherever they want to along with their reading materials. Ebooks can be undoubtedly interactive as well as they contain audio, video, and animations as well. The shift is seen to be quite affordable as it does not require any package or shipping expense.

Pros And Cons Of Epistemological Shift

The matter of fact is that everything has some pros and cons. The epistemological shift falls in the same category which gives us the idea that there must be some advantages and disadvantages associated with the epistemological shift as well.

Pros

The pros that are related to the epistemology shifts are in a great number. It is the matter of the fact that those numbers are ever-increasing. The advantages of the epistemology shifts are seen to be changed over the years. One thing to be taken into consideration is that the pros associated with the epistemology shifts will be increasing in the upcoming time as well due to the advancement in the technology. One of the main advantages behind the epistemology shift is that it tends to allow individuals to have easy access to knowledge material.

The most important factor here is that epistemology shifts serve in giving individuals a chance to access the online platforms, libraries, and classes quite easily. The facility of having the ease to use, store, and print out the required readings makes the epistemology shifts one of the most reliable aspects in the current century. The ease of availability of sources that can be accessed everywhere, and anytime helps the online users in a number of ways and serves in removing the hurdles they used to get a long time ago (Brun, 2016).

A great number of people enjoy access to online libraries and classes on their smartphones, tablets, and laptops. Most among them are the students who find the epistemology shifts as something which has made the studies quite convenient for them. Moreover, the epistemology shifts tend to remove the hurdle for rushing out for the hard books and libraries by proving a solution to sit at home and study whatever you wish for. Another important thing to be taken into consideration is that a number of students nowadays rely on online courses. The study material they have are mostly in the form of ebooks. Epistemology shifts have helped the students to develop a set of skills on their own without being dependant on the teachers.

Cons

There is no doubt that there are a number of benefits with the epistemology shifts. However, it must be taken into consideration that epistemology shifts have some cons as well. One of the biggest issues that have been faced by a number of people is that they have made themselves technology dependant which is undoubtedly something not considered to be quite good. It is not always the correct information provided on the internet, but there are a number of sources that are considered to be reliable. Students without having sufficient knowledge tend to rely on those sources which result in distorting their concepts.

Another bad factor is the health issue related to the excess to use mobile phones or any other technological device. It is the matter of the fact that the outcomes of using smartphones, tablets, and laptops in excess results in a number of health issues related to eyes, and severe brain problems as well. Studying from ebooks is undoubtedly an easy way, but it is to be taken into consideration that it tends to act like a bad hazard for the health.

Students who believe in self-study become more independent and do not rely on the teachers. The outcomes of this results in the creation of barrier of communication between the students and the teacher which is something not good and is considered to be ethically wrong. Apart from the knowledge a student seeks from the internet, he/she must listen to the teacher as well, and give it high importance as well.

References

Brun, G., & Doguoglu, U. (2016). Epistemology and emotions. Routledge.

Sosa, E. (2017). Epistemology. Princeton University Press.