epistemology
UK[ɪˌpɪstɪˈmɒlədʒi]US[ɪˌpɪstəˈmɑːlədʒi]
n
The branch of philosophy that studies the nature, origin, and limits of human knowledge.
Morpheme Breakdown
episteme
logy
episteme
knowledge
logy
study of
Etymology
The term 'epistemology' is a modern philosophical compound, coined in the mid-19th century from two ancient Greek elements. The first part, epistēmē, originally signified a stable, systematic form of knowledge as opposed to mere opinion (doxa), rooted in the verb ephistanai meaning "to understand, know how." The second part, -logia, denotes a systematic discourse or study, derived from logos meaning "word, reason, account." Thus, the literal construction "the study of knowledge" directly and logically maps to its modern abstract meaning as the philosophical investigation into the foundations, scope, and validity of what we claim to know.
Analysis
Structure: episteme (knowledge) + logy (study of)
episteme: From Greek epistēmē, meaning "knowledge, scientific knowledge, skill." It functions as the core root specifying the subject matter.
logy: From Greek -logia, meaning "the study of, a discourse." It functions as a suffix denoting a branch of knowledge or science.
Examples
The course on epistemology explored the differences between rationalism and empiricism.
Her research in epistemology questions the reliability of memory as a source of knowledge.
A central problem in epistemology is defining what constitutes justified true belief.