But perhaps it would benefit us to go back a step, for it seems some of the cause lies in how we think. Very simply, epistemology deals with how we know what we know. The three basic ways in which we learn are faith, empiricism, and rationalization. Society seems to think that empiricism is the superior manner in which knowledge is gained. Yet the majority of knowledge we gain in life is by the other two methods.
All methods are equally valid.
You believe your mother's warning. The validity of this type of learning, faith, is dependent upon the object of faith. In this case, the object is your mother and her veracity. You may also use empiricism to determine whether it is hot. Empiricism is the scientific method and utilizes the senses.