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epistemology of the theory of knowledge, especially concerning its methods, validity, and scope
theory of human knowledge
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In the Theory of Knowledge, the main four knowledge tools humans use are reason, emotion, language, and perception. Though these tools are considered to generally allow us to pursue and gain knowledge, are these four ways of knowing the only means of acquiring knowledge? In the recent years, the IB curriculum has included the four other ways of knowing: intuition, imagination, faith, and memory, recognizing them as further ways of acquiring knowledge. This implies that the knowledge acquired by the four methods would be limited, thus reaching out to other methods to pursue knowledge. These newly considered knowledge tools are considered to be mistrusted or invalid ways of knowing in certain areas of knowledge. Abraham Maslow’s quote implies that we, humans, are all biased by our backgrounds and have the tendency to put forward solutions to any situations that our backgrounds suggest to us. If overly-familiar methods aren’t the only tools in acquiring true knowledge, how does the other ways of knowing, such as intuition and imagination, play a role in different areas of knowledge?
Scientists tend to argue their common belief that general scientific theories and laws have always been reached through rational explanation, thereby overlooking the possibilities of intuitive and imaginary developments. It is commonly stated that intuition or emotions suggest irrationality and that scientific truth and achievements depend on reason alone. Intuition can be defined as the ability to understanding something instinctively without the requirement of for conscious reasoning while imagination can be defined as the ability of forming new ideas, images or concepts of external objects not present to the senses.
In the areas of natural sciences...
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...at ethics in part determined by emotional response, most students may be tempted to argue that it is in fact the area of knowledge that relies most heavily on intuitive thinking. I believe that our moral judgments are based on elaborate processes of socialization whereby we acquire our moral foundation through the testimonies of the main sources of authority in our lives, such as our parents, teachers, priests, and etc. This socialization, when combined with our emotional sensibility, allows us to be particularly in tune with detail, an acuteness which we often confuse with our intuition.
Therefore, although these other ways of knowing such as intuition, imaginary, and others, surely cannot become certified as a justified way of knowing, it still plays an important role in enhancing the quest for knowledge in different areas of knowledge, though to varying degrees.
The foundation of valid knowledge depends on one’s personal understanding. To “know” means to understand or be aware. Everyone’s personal knowledge differs and the way we obtain and interpret our knowledge is usually through our spiritual beliefs. In order to gain knowledge I rely on the Word of God. The knowledge of God is the most valuable knowledge a human being can possess. The Word of God can be found in Scripture. Proverbs 2:6 tells us that the Lord gives us wisdom and that the wisdom of God results in knowledge and understanding. But it is also clear that simply being aware of God’s existence is not adequate; the knowledge of God must encompass the profound appreciation for Him and produce a loving and growing relationship with Him.
Knowledge is defined as information and skills one acquires through experience or education. There is; however, a certain knowledge than cannot be certain and is unjustifiable from the scientific perspective. Karen Armstrong, Robert Thurman, and Azar Nafisi wrote about this type of knowledge in their essays: “Homo Religiosus,” “Wisdom,” and “Reading Lolita in Tehran,” respectively. Each of these authors has a different view of what knowledge is exactly, how it can be achieved, and what it means to have achieved it, but each author takes on the view that the concept of knowledge should be viewed from a social stance. Armstrong refers to this uncertain knowledge as “myth,” Thurman refers to it as “wisdom,” and Nafisi refers to it as “upsilamba";
Alexander, J., & Weinberg, J. (2009, January 1). The "Unreliability" of Epistemic Intuitions . . Retrieved May 2, 2014, from http://www.siena.edu/uploadedfiles/home/academics/schools_and_departments/school_of_liberal_arts/philosophy/Alexander%20&%20Weinberg.The%20Unreliability%20of%20Epistemic%20Intuitions.pdf
In his article, Robin Hogarth, defines intuition and argues that intuition is a result of learning. There are challenges within intuition research, they define a scope of different intuitive phenomena. Hogarth reasons by narrowing down the concept it would make it easier and more comprehensible to understand the diverse ways people make decisions. Hogarth asks, “if we know how people make decisions, we may be able to help them make better decisions” (Hogarth, 2010, p. 338). Hogarth believes, that if intuition is in fact a learned trait than intuitive research needs to be narrowed down into four prevalent but challenging areas of clarification; (1) preferences, (2) cultural capital, (3) educating intuition, and (4) problems with intuition
‘Don’t give me any more facts! I need to make a decision right now!’ Although one can question knowledge endlessly, one cannot forever suspend judgment while researching and reflecting. What would it mean to act responsibly in a situation where one cannot possess certainty? How would one justify the decision?
Information about both areas of knowledge can be gained through sense perception, reason, and emotion. An idea in the natural sciences must be pragmatic in order to confirm its authenticity. For example I have done several experiments in my chemistry class this year. The experiments always start off with hypotheses that can be tested. It is vital to test the experiment multiple times in order to decrease the chances of making errors. Numerous trials also increase the chances of the experiment producing the expected results. During an experiment, sense perception is used to collect data. Changes that can be seen, heard, smelled, or felt support the hypothesis and make it even more convincing. Observations through sense perception are clearly one of the most important factors in determining whether or not an experiment is valid.
particular: how can people be sure of what they know, when so often theories and ideas
Second method of how healthcare workers such as nurses make judgments and decisions has been known as Intuition. Intuition is defined by Shaban (2005) as “understanding without a rationale or an immediate knowing of something without the conscious use of reason, or a knowledge of a fact or truth, as a whole, with immediate possession of knowledge and an independence from linear reasoning process. There is no definite definition of intuition but the common contextual meaning of it is that the judgment and reasoning process just happens, cannot be explained and is not rational.” Based on a series of ingenious experiments, some cognitive scientists have posited that much of our intelligence and problem-solving capacities are not conscious
For many years, philosophers have discussed the topics of knowledge, such as skepticism, rationalism, empiricism, and constructivism. While rationalism claims that our primary source of knowledge is reasoning, empiricism rejects it by claiming that we gain our knowledge by experience rather than reasoning. Skepticism, on the other hand, questions if we have knowledge at all because if we are not one-hundred-percent sure of something, we cannot say that we have knowledge of it. Constructivism is another theory, which agrees with some claims of each of rationalism and empiricism and discards others, but it does not agree with skepticism. Of the theories mentioned, constructivism best responds to the problem of the knowledge because it agrees with the ideas, from both of rationalism and empiricism, which make sense.
problems, our intuition may provide us with the answer to that problem more helpfully or accurately
In conclusion, Maslow’s quote is very relevant when looking at ways of knowing as tools used in the pursuit of knowledge. The quote describes how the extent and quality of the knowledge we acquire is reliant on our proper use of a variety of ways of knowing rather than relying on one. It is important for us to realize that one way of knowing may not be suffice to solve a specific problem or issue. If we see that a specific solution cannot be used to solve a specific problem, we do not alter the way we look at the problem, we alter our solution.
To conclude, the widely held belief that the effective application of reason requires dispassionate thought is valid in some circumstances where our emotions sweep us up and make us act quickly without any premeditation, causing us to later regret our decisions. However, emotion does not always have to be considered a contaminant that carries the biases and excesses of human desire. Emotion is a necessary component of reasoning as it offers the necessary guidance and direction when the environment fails to provide all the information needed for a clear and thoughtful judgment.
In the beginning of senior grade, my IB Music teacher told us that he tries to compose orchestral music pieces which everyone can understand or at least interpret in a certain way even to those who has minimal musical knowledge. (Dr.Schmidt) Evidently, it is an intricate process my IB teacher has to struggle through to compose such pieces. He stated that the process of composing a piece involves the mixture of ways of knowing and also requires high musical intellect. People may gain knowledge by obtaining facts, information, and skills through experience or education. (Oxford) Does math only use reason to gain knowledge? Does history only use memory? Does religion only use faith? In some areas of knowledge, they may only use one or possibly
Much of what encompasses human intelligence is not a deliberate concoction of thoughts, but a series of underlying processes. These latent, unconscious thoughts and feelings are collectively termed intuition. These processes elude fundamental logic, often transcending one’s rational understanding. Intuition emerges in a multitude of contexts, from choosing the ideal mate, to averting potential danger. However, is there scientific proof to confirm the existence of intuition? Is it possible to analyze the basis of intuitive gut feelings or is this largely an irrational and undefinable concept? Empirical proof confirms the existence of unconscious thoughts, working in the absence of conscious control. These observations legitimize the notion that
There are different views about how we gain knowledge of the world, through our senses or through our minds, and although many say that it is one or the other I believe that although we gain some knowledge through sense data not all of our ideas come from these impressions. There are those who stand on the side of empiricism, like David Hume, and those who stand on the side of rationalism, like René Descartes; then there are also those who believe that one can have a foot on both sides, like Immanuel Kant. To be on one side or the other never gives you full knowledge you must be willing to use your senses and your reason to form ideas.