Epistemology (/ᵻˌpɪstᵻˈmɒlədʒi/; fromGreekἐπιστήμη, epistēmē, meaning "knowledge, understanding",andλόγος, logos, meaning "word") is a word first used by the Scottish philosopher James Frederick Ferrier to describe the branch of philosophy concerned with the theory of knowledge. It examines the nature of knowledge and how one can acquire it. Much of the debate in this field has focused on the philosophical analysis of the nature of knowledge and how it relates to such concepts as truth, belief, and justification.