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Synthesizing everything learned to build a toolkit for seeking truth in daily life.
Imagine you are a detective in a world where everyone is wearing a mask and whispering different stories. How do you decide who to trust, or if the 'truth' is even what it seems?
Quick Check
According to the formula , why isn't a lucky guess considered 'knowledge'?
Answer
A lucky guess lacks 'Justification' (J), which is the evidence or logical reasoning required to turn a belief into knowledge.
When you see a viral post or a news headline, don't just react—investigate. Use the S.E.B. Framework: 1. Source: Who created this? Are they an expert or an anonymous account? 2. Evidence: Does the claim provide data, photos, or links to primary sources? 3. Bias: Is the author trying to inform you, or are they trying to make you angry or sell you something?
By pausing to run this checklist, you move from being a passive consumer to an active Truth Detective.
You receive a text saying school is cancelled tomorrow. 1. Source: It’s from a friend, not the official school website. 2. Evidence: There is no link to a news report or a screenshot of an official email. 3. Bias: Your friend really wants a day off, so they might be prone to 'wishful thinking.' Result: You decide this is a belief, but not knowledge yet.
Quick Check
What are the three parts of the S.E.B. framework?
Answer
Source, Evidence, and Bias.
The most dangerous obstacle to truth is thinking you already have it. This is where Intellectual Humility comes in. It is the recognition that your current beliefs might be wrong. When we practice intellectual humility, we become more open to new evidence. Philosophers argue that the more you know, the more you realize how much you don't know. This isn't a weakness; it's a strength because it keeps your mind open to learning. If you are certain about everything, you have room to grow.
You see a headline: 'New Study Shows Video Games Make Kids Geniuses!' 1. Questioning: You ask, 'Who funded this study?' (Source). 2. Analysis: You find the study was paid for by a gaming company. 3. Humility: Even though you love gaming and want this to be true, you admit, 'I might be biased here. I need to find an independent study before I claim this as a fact.'
You are debating whether social media is harmful. You have five strong points. Suddenly, your opponent shows you a peer-reviewed study () that proves one of your points is factually incorrect. 1. The Choice: Do you ignore the data to 'win' the argument, or do you use intellectual humility? 2. The Action: You say, 'I hadn't seen that data. Let me look at it; I might need to update my view.' 3. The Result: You have just used the formula to refine your knowledge.
What does the 'J' stand for in the Epistemology formula ?
Which part of the S.E.B. framework asks 'Who created this information?'
Intellectual humility means you should never be confident in what you know.
Review Tomorrow
In 24 hours, try to recall the three letters in the S.E.B. framework and what each one stands for.
Practice Activity
Find one news article today and identify one potential 'Bias' the author might have based on the words they chose.