Information and Knowledge: Combining Justification, Truth, and Belief

Knowledge of a statement exists when the statement is true, it is believed, and it is justified. While there are somewhat unusual situations where the justified, true, belief model does not produce what some consider to be knowledge, this definition of knowledge serves as an adequate model for most purposes. Information being produced by processes is examined, and then expanded to show how different kinds of information combine to produce knowledge. Qualitative and quantitative definitions and variants of truth, justification, and belief are proposed, providing an informing based model of knowledge that can be applied to a range from individual statements to larger groups and societies. When justification and belief are diffused, such as through transmission, knowledge may be diffused or communicated. This paper presents a theoretical argument for treating knowledge as a combination of justification, truth, and believed statements, as well as a method for combining these statements. A discussion of empirical data that can be used to indicate belief, justification, truth, and knowledge in societies is provided and we show how the rise of Protestantism is associated with a rise in knowledge. We consider how Max Weber’s hypothesis about the relationship between Protestantism and capitalism may be understood and historically and empirically supported in the context of the rise of knowledge as justified true belief.