The Role of Information in Knowledge-How

Area of Science:

• Philosophy of Mind
• Cognitive Science
• Epistemology

Background:

• Knowledge-how is central to skill acquisition and employment.
• Intellectualists view knowledge-how as propositional knowledge; anti-intellectualists disagree.
• Existing theories face challenges regarding motor variability and the role of practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a novel conceptual framework for understanding knowledge-how.
• To integrate insights from both intellectualist and anti-intellectualist perspectives.
• To address key challenges in the philosophy of skill.

Main Methods:

• Conceptual analysis of knowledge-how theories.
• Development of a framework based on functional information.
• Examination of the relationship between informational states and motor variability.
• Analysis of the epistemic function of practice in skill development.

Main Results:

• The proposed framework offers a unified approach to knowledge-how.
• It addresses the challenges of motor variability and the epistemic function of practice.
• The model accommodates both intellectualist and anti-intellectualist features.

Conclusions:

• A functional information framework can reconcile competing views on knowledge-how.
• This approach advances the philosophical debate on skill and knowledge acquisition.
• The study provides a new lens for understanding the nature of skilled performance.