Common knowledge
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Common knowledge is knowledge that is publicly known by everyone or nearly everyone, usually with reference to the community in which the knowledge is referenced.[1] Common knowledge can be about a broad range of subjects, such as science, literature, history, or entertainment. "Conventional wisdom" is a similar term also referring to ostensibly pervasive knowledge or analysis. Since individuals often have different knowledge bases, it can be difficult to know for certain what is common knowledge amongst large groups of people.[2] Often, common knowledge does not need to be cited.[3] Common knowledge is distinct from general knowledge.
In broader terms, common knowledge is used to refer to information that an agent would accept as valid, such as information that multiple users may know.[2] Assigning something the label of common knowledge requires certain considerations about the involved community, group, society and/or individuals, the time period, the and the location. [1]
Difficulty establishing common knowledge
It can be difficult to define something as common knowledge because there are variations in what is considered common knowledge amongst different groups.[3] The variation can come from the time period, culture, population, class, age, demographic, and other circumstances. For example, The Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, might be considered common knowledge amongst people residing in the United States of a certain age, but cannot be considered common knowledge when considering the general population of other countries.
Unstable
Common knowledge is not always stable, and can shift over time to create new common knowledge. Knowledge that was once considered common knowledge amongst a group, society, or community might later become known as false. For example, for centuries it was common knowledge in Europe that the sun revolved around the Earth, but after years of arguments, it is now common knowledge that the Earth revolves around the sun. [4]
Large Scale
On a larger global scale, it is difficult to define almost any knowledge as common knowledge because it is difficult to know how far a fact has spread in global populations.[2] For example, the current president of the United States might be considered common knowledge in much of the world because of the power associated with that position, but one cannot assume that there is global recognition of this fact as common knowledge without further research into the knowledge of global populations.
Further Examples
- "Paris is the capital of France." Many capital cities of developed countries are considered common knowledge by most people, but it can be difficult to say with certainty that this is common knowledge on a global scale.
- "It is dangerous to mix ammonia and bleach." Though both common household chemicals, accidents involving the mixing of ammonia and bleach are rare, because the potentially lethal danger in their chemical reaction is a widely circulated cautionary tale amongst some American families and so could possibly be considered common knowledge in those populations, but may not extend to wider populations.
Legal Setting
Many techniques have been developed in response to the question of distinguishing truth from fact in matters that have become "common knowledge". In legal settings, rules of evidence generally exclude hearsay, which may draw on "facts" someone believes to be "common knowledge". [5]
See also
- Common knowledge (logic)
- Common sense
- Consensus reality
- Conventional wisdom
- Cultural heritage
- Cultural practice
- Cyc, an attempt to capture common sense in a computer system
- Obliteration by incorporation
- Rule of thumb
- Social constructionism
- Judicial notice
- List of common misconceptions
- Factoid
Further reading
- R. Fagin, J. Y. Halpern, Y. Moses, and M. Y. Vardi. Reasoning about Knowledge, The MIT Press, 1995. ISBN 0-262-56200-6
- Lewis, David. Convention: A philosophical study. Harvard University Press, 1969.
- J-J Ch. Meyer and W van der Hoek Epistemic Logic for Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence, volume 41, Cambridge Tracts in Theoretical Computer Science, Cambridge University Press, 1995. ISBN 0-521-46014-X
- Stalnaker, Robert. "Assertion". Pages 315–322 in P. Cole (ed.). Syntax and Semantics 9: Pragmatics, 1978.
References
- ^ a b Halpern, Joseph Y.; Moses, Yoram (1990-07-01). "Knowledge and common knowledge in a distributed environment". Journal of the ACM. 37 (3): 549–587. doi:10.1145/79147.79161. ISSN 0004-5411.
- ^ a b c Geanakoplos, John (1992-11-01). "Common Knowledge". Journal of Economic Perspectives. 6 (4): 53–82. doi:10.1257/jep.6.4.53. ISSN 0895-3309.
- ^ a b Shi, Ling (2011). "Common Knowledge, Learning, and Citation Practices in University Writing". Research in the Teaching of English. 45 (3): 308–334. ISSN 0034-527X.
- ^ Theodossiou, E.; Danezis, E.; Manimanis, V.N.; Kalyva, E.M. (2002). "From Pythagoreans to Kepler: the dispute between the geocentric and the heliocentric systems". Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage. 5: 89–98 – via University of Athens.
- ^ Levi, Ron; Valverde, Mariana (2001/ed). "Knowledge on Tap: Police Science and Common Knowledge in the Legal Regulation of Drunkenness". Law & Social Inquiry. 26 (4): 819–846. doi:10.1111/j.1747-4469.2001.tb00325.x. ISSN 0897-6546.
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