The true justified belief is often called
- (a)Hypothesis
- (b)Intelligence
- (c)Knowledge
- (d)None of the above
Correct — C, Knowledge. In epistemology (the philosophy of knowledge), the traditional analysis defines Knowledge as 'Justified True Belief' (JTB): a person is said to know a proposition when they believe it, it is actually true, and they have adequate justification for believing it. This tripartite definition is traditionally traced to Plato's dialogue Theaetetus and remains the standard reference point in discussions of what knowledge is.
- (a)Hypothesis —
- (b)Intelligence — Intelligence refers to the general cognitive capacity to reason, learn, and apply knowledge — it is a mental ability, not itself a specific justified-true-belief state about a proposition.
- (d)None of the above — Wrong — 'Knowledge' is precisely the established term for justified true belief in epistemology, so this option is incorrect.
Epistemology studies the nature, sources, and limits of knowledge. Its classical starting point is the Justified True Belief (JTB) definition: knowing something requires (1) believing it, (2) it being true, and (3) having justification for the belief. This tripartite view was later challenged by philosopher Edmund Gettier, whose 1963 paper 'Is Justified True Belief Knowledge?' gave counterexamples showing a belief could be justified and true by luck without genuinely counting as knowledge — a debate still known as the 'Gettier problem.'
The question restates the JTB formula in plain words ('true justified belief') and asks for the philosophical term it defines — recognising 'justified + true + belief = knowledge' is the entire trick.
- Knowledge (classical/JTB definition) = Belief + Truth + Justification
- Traditionally traced to Plato's dialogue Theaetetus
- Epistemology is the branch of philosophy studying knowledge
- Edmund Gettier's 1963 paper challenged JTB as a sufficient definition of knowledge
- Picking 'Intelligence' because it sounds related to 'knowing things' — intelligence is a cognitive capacity, not a definition of knowledge itself
- Missing that the question is a direct restatement of the textbook JTB formula rather than a general reasoning question
MPPSC general-aptitude/reasoning sections occasionally drop in a basic philosophy/logic definitional question like this — the phrasing usually mirrors the standard textbook definition almost word-for-word.
No directly related past PYQ was found.
- practice — not a real PYQ
The branch of philosophy that studies the nature, sources, and limits of knowledge is called:
- (a)Ethics
- (b)Epistemology
- (c)Metaphysics
- (d)Aesthetics
Answer(b) Epistemology — the philosophical study of knowledge.
- practice — not a real PYQ
Edmund Gettier's 1963 paper challenged which classical definition of knowledge?
- (a)Justified true belief
- (b)Rational intuition
- (c)Empirical observation
- (d)Categorical imperative
Answer(a) Justified true belief — Gettier's counterexamples questioned whether JTB is sufficient for knowledge.