Common knowledge
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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For other uses, see Common knowledge (disambiguation).
Common knowledge is what "everybody knows", usually with reference to the community in which the term is used.
The assertion that something is "common knowledge" is sometimes associated with the fallacy argumentum ad populum (Latin: "appeal to the people"). The fallacy essentially warns against assuming that just because everyone believes something is true does not make it so. Misinformation is easily introduced into rumors by intermediate messengers.
There are many things which many people believe to be true which actually are true. Sometimes the assertion that something is "common knowledge" is merely another way of saying that someone is ignoring an obvious fact, or should have known about it had they been paying attention.
Many techniques have been developed to overcome the problem of distinguishing truth from fact in matters that have become "common knowledge". The scientific method is usually applied to the general laws of nature. In legal settings, rules of evidence generally exclude hearsay (which may draw on "facts" someone believes to be "common knowledge"). To avoid undue influence from publicity on the neutrality of a jury, judges occasionally must order a change of venue. Journalists and other investigators of truth may seek a source closer to the facts, eliminating unreliable intermediaries.
"Conventional wisdom" is a similar term, coined by economist John Kenneth Galbraith, referring to ostensibly pervasive knowledge or analysis.
