Which field studies what counts as knowledge and how science differs from opinion?

Which field studies what counts as knowledge and how science differs from opinion?

• A. Epistemology
• B. Metaphysics
• C. Ontology
• D. Ethics

Answer: (A)

Epistemology is the field that studies what counts as knowledge, how beliefs are justified, and how science differs from mere opinion. It asks what it means for a claim to be knowledge rather than a guess, rumor, or preference, and it examines the standards we use to justify beliefs—evidence, reasoning, reliability of methods, and the possibility of testing or falsifying claims. This helps explain why a scientifically supported claim is treated as knowledge: it rests on systematic methods, empirical evidence, and repeatable verification that reduce doubt and distinguish it from a mere opinion. By contrast, metaphysics explores the nature of reality beyond what we can observe, ontology asks what kinds of things exist, and ethics concerns what we ought to do. So the study of how we know things and how science earns its status over opinion is Epistemology.

Epistemology is the field that studies what counts as knowledge, how beliefs are justified, and how science differs from mere opinion. It asks what it means for a claim to be knowledge rather than a guess, rumor, or preference, and it examines the standards we use to justify beliefs—evidence, reasoning, reliability of methods, and the possibility of testing or falsifying claims. This helps explain why a scientifically supported claim is treated as knowledge: it rests on systematic methods, empirical evidence, and repeatable verification that reduce doubt and distinguish it from a mere opinion. By contrast, metaphysics explores the nature of reality beyond what we can observe, ontology asks what kinds of things exist, and ethics concerns what we ought to do. So the study of how we know things and how science earns its status over opinion is Epistemology.