Quantitative Information in Knowledge Claims

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As we saw in discussing knowledge claims, one powerful direction that the growth of knowledge has taken has been to quantify our experience. To learn more about quantificational methods in knowledge claims, we begin with the concept of measurement itself. We consider ways that measurements can be misunderstood or used deceptively. People have difficulty, for example, in comparing measurements. We'll look at specific problems that arise from the use of percentages, linear and non-linear relationships, and surveys. Another source of difficulty in the use of quantitative information in knowledge claims comes from our incomplete grasp of probability. So we take some time to discuss some basic ideas in probability and some ways that people makes mistakes in thinking about knowledge by misunderstanding probability. As always, our focus is on using conceptual knowledge about these topics to find practical advice about how to think well.