betterthinkers

My notion of what Epistemic Well-being is a working definition that will be revisited as I evolve this writing project. The basic notion of Epistemic Well-being is:

When we know something or are granted access to knowing something, it is good for the well-being of ourselves, families, friends, and communities.

A more comprehensive explanation:

Knowledge is good for us not only because we generally want to know the truth, but because knowledge dramatically affects our ability to navigate the world and accomplish our goals. Ignorance, on the other hand, is bad for us in that it prevents us from having an accurate representation of the world and stands in the way of our achieving those goals. (Boyd, 2021)

Epistemic derives from the work Episteme, a Greek work for knowledge and understanding. Epistemology is the study of knowlege, what is knowledge? How do I know?

Specifically, my writing is influenced by my work in social epistemology – the study of knowlege in social contexts. Although some of my writing will be for an academic audience, I will tag it for the reading (giving fair warning). However, I will also write about Epistemic Well-Being in practical and applicable ways that can engage a general audience, even young people, as young as 10 years (or so I hope).

Wherever this project leads, I hope that along the way the ideas I write or speak about resonate with others and I have an audience that engages, challenges, and extends my thinking around Epistemic Well-Being.

Jamie House, MEd, MSc

References:
K. Boyd (2021) The antidote to fake news is to nourish our epistemic wellbeing (Accessed: January 5, 2024)