With etymological origin in the Greek language, the notion of epistemology is used in the field of philosophy to refer to epistemology or the theory of knowledge . Gnoseology, in fact, derives from gnosis (which translates as "knowledge" ).
What epistemology does, therefore, is analyze the origin, characteristics and limitations of knowledge (knowledge, understanding). This philosophical branch does not focus on specific knowledge, but is oriented to the nature of knowledge in its broadest sense.
For epistemology, there are two main ways of acquiring knowledge: through reason or through the senses . Reason allows us to produce information and then infer a conclusion, while the senses provide information obtained through sensory perception (hearing, vision, etc.). If a person buys a box of six alfajores and eats five, they can appeal to reason to know, without having to open the box again, that they have only one alfajor left. On the other hand, an individual may know that a clothing store is closed when he arrives at the location and notices that the blinds are down.
These two ways of acquiring knowledge evidence the positions of rationalism (a doctrine that affirms that knowledge comes from rational intuition or the deductions that derive from said intuition) and empiricism (holds that knowledge always comes from sensory experiences), which They are among the main reasons for reflection in epistemology.
It is important to establish a series of important facts regarding the study of knowledge throughout history, such as the following:
-We can indicate that this aforementioned study was put into operation in Ancient Greece and thanks to figures such as Theaetetus or Aristotle.
-Already in the Middle Ages, both Saint Augustine and Saint Thomas Aquinas were relevant people in these disciplines.
-It was in the Renaissance when epistemology experienced great development and momentum.
-In the centuries after the Renaissance, epistemology gained relevance and took very significant steps thanks to figures such as John Locke, Francis Bacon, David Hume, René Descartes or Leibniz, among others.
-Immanuel Kant, Sartre and Heidegger are other people who played a relevant role in the development of epistemology during the 19th and 20th centuries.
Realism , skepticism , relativism , constructivism and dialectical materialism are other doctrines that analyze theories of knowledge from various angles, contributing to the development of epistemology.
In the same way, we cannot ignore the fact that there is what is known as legal epistemology. Under this name we can establish that there is the branch of philosophy that has as its objective of study what is the knowledge of Law. Hence, it is responsible for analyzing and investigating issues and aspects such as the legal system that exists in a country, the sources of law that exist...
It is important to establish that, sometimes, it is common to confuse what epistemology is with epistemology. This is because both are theories of knowledge. However, the main difference between them is that the first is related, above all, to what scientific knowledge is and the second is not.