Studies On The Nature Of Understanding In Epistemology

In Epistemology,especially after the put forward of Gettier Problem,a majority of attentions are paid to analyze the nature of knowledge.On the contrary,the situation of the studies of understanding is sporadic.However,because of the study of the nature of knowledge was in a difficult position these years,and the recognition of the significance of understanding in its own,which led to a resurgence of the study of the understanding.Nowsdays,the study of the understanding is prosperous.This paper will mainly explore the nature of understanding.To be corresponding to JTB definition of knowledge,this paper will mainly discuss the nature of understanding with three angles.First,the relationship of understanding and factive,which includes understanding is factive,understanding is non-factive,understanding is conditional factive.Though these three views have its own rationality,they also have some imperfections,that is they mainly paid attention to the isolated factual source,which is fits with the nature of knowledge,not the nature of understanding.Understanding has close relationship with "relation",not the single information,so the analyze of understanding should pay attention to the relation.Second,the psychological states of understanding.In this part,there are two questions needed to be clarified:the relationship of understanding and belief,the specific part of the psychological states of understanding.There are lots of discussions on these problems,such as the view of understanding doesn't need belief,or belief is a necessary condition of understanding.As to the nature of grasping,some person saw grasping as a purely psychological states,or kinds of ability.Some epistemologists even hold that the psychological states of understanding are not grasping,but a creative mental act,or special right skills,Representation manipulability.Based on this theoretical analysis,this paper put forward a new view,which see understanding as a multilayer psychological state,and recognition,tendency and practice can be included in it.Third,the justification of understanding.Some philosophers saw understanding as an inner state,so understanding can be justified from the inside.But this perspective met with some oppositions.There are some other explanations on the justification of understanding from kinds of perspectives,such as some agree with the compartmentalized holistic coherence;some philosophers go further,put forward a kind of coherence understanding which is based on the reflective equilibrium;some swim against the stream,believe that understanding is not a coherent state,but is quasi-coherent.But beyond that,some epistemologists supply the Evidentialist Account of the understanding and the Rationality Account of Understanding.This paper agrees with the coherent account of understanding,but redefine the meaning of coherence.In order to make the justification of understanding more clearly,the relationship between luck and understanding is quite important.The first thing which is needed to mention here is the meaning of luck.There are three important ideas on the relationship between luck and understanding:understanding is compatibility with luck,understanding is imcompatibility with luck,understanding is compatibility with luck in some conditions.After the carefully analyze of these ideas,this paper will agree with the third opinion,which is mainly support by Pritchard.D.After the study of the nature of understanding,the nature question which will following is the value problem of understanding.It is generally considered that understanding has value,even has final value,and they prove this standpoint by rich phenomenon perspective,cognitive control perspective,a dynamic process perspective,virtue epistemology perspective and so on.On the contrary,there are some objections on the final value prove of understanding.This paper agrees with the final value of understanding.It is no doubt that almost everything can be the object of understanding.After the analyze of the understanding of natural world,it is needed to pay attention to the exploration of other objects of understanding,especially understanding the human beings.As to the understanding of human beings,the problem of the relationship between understanding human beings and natural worlds should be considered in the first place:that is the understanding of human beings needs to address the mental state of action.Mental state has subjective aspects,and this paper agree with the idea that these subjective aspects can't be fully addressed by objective explanation.At last,this paper will pay attention to the importance of mental experience.All in all,because of focus on discussing the understanding is only at the start,so there are lots of questions are unclear,there are many fields needed to explore,all of these asking for the more attention to be paid by us.