If all scientific knowledge has the potential to be disproven, then can we really call it knowledge?

ZeusAres42

Knowledge is basically information that one acquires. It doesn't matter how it came about or if it is true, factual or whatever; it's still just knowledge all the same. So yes, knowledge of scientific information regardless of how accurate can still be called knowledge.

Vaulk

Unfortunately, knowledge by definition cannot include false information and therefor any presumed knowledge that turns out to be false was never knowledge to begin with, such is the history of science though.

Science is home to the world's greatest blunders and misinformation since the beginning of time.  There's no shortage of shocking and outright ridiculous so called "Knowledge" that science has passed off onto humanity over the history of the world.

This is why scientific revelation is SUPPOSED to be tempered with caution and skepticism.  The reality though is that it rarely is and as a result we end up with things like Human Evolution being taught in schools because of the discovery of the Piltdown man which ended up being a hoax that sat in a museum for decades under the guise of "The missing link". 

MattGould

@ZeusAres42 the statement you have just made is not exactly true. According to the dictionary knowledge is “facts, information, and skills acquired through education and experience.” Also, my question, which I will admit I used both words fact and knowledge together in a confusing way so it’s partially my fault, was if anything in science has the potential to be refuted or debunked, then can we really call scientific knowledge “fact” and if it isn’t a fact then can we really call it knowledge. 

AlofRI

For? Against? I think we need a "Neutral" here.

I'm not a scientist, but, I think ANY legitimate scientist would have an open mind and know that "facts" can change. They have for eons! We have to work with what we've got, but, there MUST be reasonable data to back up a "theory", and evidence that can't be argued against before we can consider something a "fact". Gravity is a fact. The Earth being round is a fact. When it comes to "flat Earthers" …. well …. mental derangement is also a fact.