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Academy Resources Glossary of Philosophical Terms Timeline of Philosophy A Timeline of American Philosophy Diagram: Development of Philosophic Thought Diagram: Divisions of Philosophy The Philosophy Resource Center The Religion Resource Center Books about Philosophy in The Radical Academy Bookstore Books about Religion in The Radical Academy Bookstore Click Here for New & Used College Textbooks at Discount Prices Click Here for College Education Information & Study Resources Shop Amazon Stores in the Radical Academy Bookstore Magazine Outlet Music Store Classical Music Store Video Store DVD Store Computer Store Camera & Photo Store Computer/Video Games Software Store Musical Instruments Outlet Store Cellular Phones Toys & Games Tools & Hardware Automotive Store Outdoor Living Consumer Electronics Home & Garden Kitchen & Housewares Baby Superstore Apparel & Accessories Gourmet Food Grocery Store Sporting Goods Jewelry & Watches Health & Personal Care Beauty Store		The Principles of Scientific Knowledge by Paul Haeberlin   Knowledge supposes correct thinking. Correct thinking lies in correct judgment. The essence of knowledge is the absolute correctness of judgment. The task of knowledge is to make correct judgment. Its object is the content of this judgment. Judgment does not mean any single judgment or the judgment of a definite judging subject, e.g., a human subject, but judgment altogether, and therewith judgment independent of the kind of the subject. The absolute judging subject corresponds to the absolute judgment. This is, however, of lesser importance than the fact that knowledge is correct thinking and therefore can be found only in correct judgment. In this connection, "correctness" means absolute correctness or objective correctness. But when is judgment in this sense correct? There is only one possible answer to this question. It can only be found if one considers that all judging is acting, that every judgment is an action. An action is correct in this object sense if it corresponds to an absolutely valid objective demand, or, as we also can say, if it is the realization of a norm. The concept of correctness of acting supposes the concept of an objective norm. The norm of acting corresponds to absolutely correct acting. Furthermore, if judging is a modification of acting, the concept of correctness of judgment supposes the concept of norm of judgment as a definite modification of the norm of acting altogether. The absolute norm of judgment corresponds to the correct judgment, and is the modification of the norm altogether. Correct judgment is the realization of this norm of judgment. A judgment is correct if it fulfills its norm of judgment and therewith fulfills, on its part and in its way, the norm of judgment. Knowledge, as totality of correct judgment, consequently, means the realization of the absolute norm of judgment. Every judgment has a content, or, as we also could say, a result. That means what is "made" by the judgment, in the sense of a position or statement. For every judgment does notify something, and this something is just its content. But such a statement is an action by means of which that something is formed; in as far the content is a formation. The content of a correct judgment is correctly formed. It is a correct formation. In general, we characterize the correctness of a formation made by judgment, in contradistinction to a formation by action altogether, as truth. Correct judgments have true contents. The content of correct judgment altogether is the very truth. Truth, therefore, is the content of knowledge. The correct judgment, consequently, can also be defined from the viewpoint of the content. A judgment is correct if its content is true. This definition is quite as valid as the inverse: the content of judgment is true if the judgment is correct. Both of them mean realization of the norm of judgment.   Excerpted from The Object of Psychology, by Paul Haeberlin Enrich Your Life With a Philosophy Book... Enrich Your Life With a Philosophy Magazine... Academy Showcase Specials     Introduction & Directory
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