Is and Ain't.
I have begun reading "The History of Philosophy" written by Will Durant in 1926. In a short while I had more questions than I could hope to answers in a lifetime. I did, however, make a little progress with the relationship among truth, belief and knowledge. And, here it is in what's called a Venn diagram:
The red oval represents truth, or more specifically, what "is". Everything outside the truth oval represents what "isn't.
The green oval represents a belief, or more specifically, faith that something "is" whether or not that something be true. According, a belief may be either false as represented by the green portion of the belief oval or true as represented by the portion coincident with the truth oval.
In the region where truth and belief overlap, we have "is" as well as "faith" that something "is". The blue circle within this region represents knowledge, or more specifically a belief joined by observation and rational thought with a truth.
Finally, the gray area represents ignorance, or more specifically a truth and belief waiting to be joined by knowledge. Since a false belief can never be connected to a nonexistent "is" (that is to say, an "isn't"), this leads to the conclusion that a true belief can only be established by observation and rational thought of an "is".
Now for a few examples:
Red Zone - No example is possible because we have no knowledge a priori of what "is" outside the Blue circle.
Gray Zone - No example is possible because, again, we have no knowledge of what "is" outside the Blue circle. Beliefs in this area are true but we have no knowledge, as yet, that any of them are true.
Blue Zone - The earth revolves about the sun, a true belief established by observation and rational thought of what "is".
Green Zone - The earth is at the center of the universe, a false belief once held as true by Abrahamic religions of something that "isn't".
This all leaves us with three kinds of beliefs:
(1) True beliefs for which we have knowledge.
(2) True beliefs for which we currently have no knowledge.
(3) False beliefs for which we can never have knowledge.
And, this further leads to the possibility of a false believe being perpetuated forever because it can never be made true belief by observation and rational thought. Indeed, false beliefs can only be perpetuated through blind faith.
The red oval represents truth, or more specifically, what "is". Everything outside the truth oval represents what "isn't.
The green oval represents a belief, or more specifically, faith that something "is" whether or not that something be true. According, a belief may be either false as represented by the green portion of the belief oval or true as represented by the portion coincident with the truth oval.
In the region where truth and belief overlap, we have "is" as well as "faith" that something "is". The blue circle within this region represents knowledge, or more specifically a belief joined by observation and rational thought with a truth.
Finally, the gray area represents ignorance, or more specifically a truth and belief waiting to be joined by knowledge. Since a false belief can never be connected to a nonexistent "is" (that is to say, an "isn't"), this leads to the conclusion that a true belief can only be established by observation and rational thought of an "is".
Now for a few examples:
This all leaves us with three kinds of beliefs:
(1) True beliefs for which we have knowledge.
(2) True beliefs for which we currently have no knowledge.
(3) False beliefs for which we can never have knowledge.
And, this further leads to the possibility of a false believe being perpetuated forever because it can never be made true belief by observation and rational thought. Indeed, false beliefs can only be perpetuated through blind faith.
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