Exercise 3: Sources of Knowledges

Belief
The relationship between belief and knowledge is clear, but it can become subtle in conversation between more than one (human) entity. Believers in a claim typically say that they know that claim. For instance, those who believe that the Sun is a god will often report that they know that the Sun is a god. However, the terms belief and knowledge are used differently by world philosophers. It is a telling point concerning the nature of belief that most people distinguish between what they know and what they believe, even though they consider both kinds of statements to be true.

Experience
Experience as a general concept comprises knowledge of or skill in or observation of some thing or some event gained through involvement in or exposure to that thing or event. The history of the word experience aligns it closely with the concept of experiment.

Inference
Inference is the act or process of deriving a logical consequence conclusion from premises.
Inference is studied within several different fields.

Human inference (i.e. how humans draw conclusions) is traditionally studied within the field of cognitive psychology.

Logic studies the laws of valid inference.

Statisticians have developed formal rules for inference (statistical inference) from quantitative data.
Artificial intelligence researchers develop automated inference systems.

Introspection
Introspection is the self-observation and reporting of conscious inner thoughts, desires and sensations. It is a conscious mental and usually purposive process relying on thinking, reasoning, and examining one's own thoughts, feelings, and, in more spiritual cases, one's soul. It can also be called contemplation of one's self, and is contrasted with extrospection, the observation of things external to one's self. Introspection may be used synonymously with self-reflection and used in a similar way.

Knowledge by acquaintance

Knowledge by description

Memory

In psychology, memory is an organism's mental ability to store, retain, and recall information.

Observation

Observation is either an activity of a living being (such as a human), consisting of receiving knowledge of the outside world through the senses, or the recording of data using scientific instruments. The term may also refer to any datum collected during this activity.
Perception

In philosophy, psychology, and the cognitive sciences, perception is the process of attaining awareness or understanding of sensory information.

Reconstructive observation

. It refers to a mode of collecting data in research processes in the social sciences and in consulting processes by observing people during their work or other activity and conducting conversation with them.

Self-evidence

the belief that oneself is conscious

Testimony

In the law, testimony is a form of evidence that is obtained from a witness who makes a solemn statement or declaration of fact.
Reference:
http://en.wikipedia.org/