Knowledge, Action, and Context

1. Knowledge, Action, and Context Uwe RissSAP Research, Karlsruhe

2. Motivation • Why is a Definition of Knowledge Necessary for IT? • The concept of knowledge determines the way we deal with knowledge • Knowledge as Object can be gathered, stored, distributed • Knowledge as Process is embodied in action • Agenda • Approach: Relate Knowledge to Action • Application to Practical Knowledge (Know-How) • Context Dependency of Knowledge • Transfer to Propositional Knowledge (Know-That) • Consequences for Knowledge Management

3. Theory of Action • Pragmatist Approach • A concept can only be understood by its use (in actions) • Constituents of Action • Agent – the subject of the action • Goal – what is to be achieved by the agent in the action • Execution – the agent‘s activity related to the action • Result – the agent‘s perception of the outcome of the action which might be a success or a failure • Association of Action and Knowledge • Every action depends on specific instances of knowledge • However, also knowledge depends on action to become manifest

4. Practical Knowledge I • Ryle: Practical Knowledge = Know-How • … can be understood in terms of successful action … … plus warrant (Hawley 2003) • Practical Knowledge = Success of Action? • Problem: A failure of action is not necessarily an …………..indicator for lacking knowledge • Hawley‘s Solution • Restrict the context of action in such a way that adverse circumstances are excluded

5. Practical Knowledge II • Context Restriction • Problem: Such a restriction does only fix a finite number of …………. (context) factor; there are still infinite factors that can …………. lead to a failure of action • Conclusion: Success of action is a very individual result that ………………depends on an infinite number of (context) factors • Processive Knowledge • Practical Knowledge is related to individual action describing the agent‘s capability to lead this action to its intended goal in a planned and controlled way.

6. Practical Knowledge III • Concept of Possession of Knowledge • In general we assume that agents possess knowledge, i.e. they dispose of it at any time • However, this view only expresses the expectation of successful action • Dialectics of Knowledge • Expectative (moment of) knowledge occurs in our thinking • The expectation of action success bases on the experience of successful action • Processive (moment of) knowledge manifests itself in individual successful action • Individual action success only represents knowledge if it is based on experienced expectation

7. Context • Context Dependency via Action • Actions are naturally context dependent • Knowledge inherits this dependency via its association to action • Context Dependency of Knowledge • Processive knowledge is directly context dependent via the associated action • Expectative knowledge refers to multiple contexts and therefore it is mainly context independent

8. Propositional Knowledge I • Ryle: Propositional Knowledge = Know-That • … can be related to action • Subjective Level • Consistency: The reasoning about a proposition leads a result that does not contradict other beliefs • Intersubjective Level • Consensus: The statement of a proposition is accepted by the communication partners • Objective Level • Correspondence: Practical application that bases on a proposition is successful

9. Propositional Knowledge II • Relation to JTB Definition • Knowledge = Justified True Belief • Belief is related to expectative knowledge • Justification is an action that supports the proposition by a successful result and belongs to the processive knowledge • Truth refers to successful action and is therefore related to the processive knowledge ...but it is also related to the expectative knowledge due to its claim of generality

10. Relation to William James • James: Truth = Verification / Verifiability • James describes a similar transition from truth as state to truth as process • Truth as Process is Verification, i.e. it is an action – every successful action that is associated to some knowledge is a verification of it • Truth as State corresponds to Verifiability, i.e. the Expectation of Verification

11. Knowledge Management I • Handling Knowledge Objects • … is concerned with collecting and distributing… … … … information inrepositories • … enables people to act successfully in standard … … … contexts • However, it is questionable whether this kind of knowledge transfer is very efficient • Processing Knowledge Services • … is concerned with supporting people in their actions • … enables people to act successfully in the current .…(individual) context • What does this mean in detail?

12. Knowledge Management II • Knowledge Services • Knowledge transfer has to be adapted to the context • E.g. offer only those documents to users that they can understand • Knowledge transfer has to be interactive • E.g. feedback mechanism must ensure whether the transfer is successful or must be altered • Knowledge transfer must be complete • E.g. if the system cannot offer a sufficient solution the user must be passed on to “human expert”