Abstract:

The theory of knowledge is devoted to reflecting reflect on the fundamental issues of human knowledge, while scientific knowledge is the representative form of human knowledge. Jin Yuelin and Feng Qi’s theory of knowledge not only demonstrates a sustained engagement with the scientific practices of their time, but also provides original Chinese philosophical resources for understanding human knowledge. In their theory of knowledge, the examination of facts occupies a central position. As human cognitive methods and scientific practices have evolved, however, their views on facts faces new theoretical challenges, particularly in three following aspects: the relation between fact and cognition, the relation between fact and theory, and the new epistemological issues due to the involvement of AI in fact finding. To address these challenges, this paper reexamines the theoretical significance of Jin Yuelin’s distinction between the object and the content of knowledge. By distinguishing objectively existing fact from cognitively processed fact, it proposes a conception of fact as multiple representations. This work will not only show the theoretical value of Jin and Feng’s theory of knowledge, but also serve as an example to promote the contemporary development of their theory.

Key words: scientific practices, the object and the content of knowledge, the involvement of AI in fact finding, objectively existing fact, cognitively processed fact