Additional Discussion Questions: Chapter 3
Where Does Knowledge Come From?
These questions refer to Chapter 3 of Robert A. Harris, The Integration of Faith and Learning (Eugene, OR: Cascade Books, 2004). Numbers in parentheses refer to page numbers in the book. In addition to the “Questions for Thought and Discussion” at the end of the chapter, use these questions for additional discussion.
1. What is the relationship between worldview and knowledge? (40, 45)
2. How does one’s epistemology affect which statements (or claims) are judged true or false? (40-41)
3. What are some possible problematic results of the idea that knowledge is a social construct rather than an objective description of reality?
4. What objection might be made to limiting the definition of knowledge to what is “empirically verifiable”? (42)
5. Discuss the position that “truth claims are only fictions.” (43)
6. Explain the difference between fiction that conveys truth and fiction presented as truth. (44)
7. Explain the concept of confirmation bias. (46)
8. How does evaluation bias affect the reception of confirming evidence? How does it affect the reception of disconfirming evidence? (47)
9. How should Christians view the role of authority when considering the plausibility of knowledge claims? (49-51)
10. What are some indications of a person’s (or textbook’s) worldview? (53)