An Analysis of Knowledge and its Current Challenges

Defining, or analyzing, knowledge is among the essential issues dealt with in an epistemological approach, based on analytic philosophy. Most of the philosophers in analytic tradition try to suggest a philosophical, or realistic, definition of knowledge. To do so, they begin with criticizing the traditional definition of knowledge as “True Justified Belief”, and continue with its modification, ending up with a definition that is supposed to be comprehensive. They not only have not come to a consensus, but also their disagreements has widened. On the other hand, there are those who see it inappropriate to analyze knowledge.The author doubts that a philosophical or realistic definition of knowledge is needed. He even deems it impossible. Instead, he suggests that it is enough to have a conventional definition of knowledge, by which the dispute is resolved. Although some contemporary theoreticians share the idea of denying the possibility of a realistic definition for knowledge, the article tries to suggest a substitute to solve the dispute.