Trusting the Senses - Essay Example

Should we trust our senses to give us truth "Cogito, ergo sum," is a Latin formulation of "I think, therefore I am." Expressed in this dictum, Ren Descartes dismissed apparent knowledge derived from the senses. Accordingly, there must be an empirical and cognitive approach on the basis of the intuition that when a person is thinking, he exists. But, does this mean truth is concealed when senses are trusted If so, how can the truth be uncovered when a deduction is based upon perception The focal point to be addressed here deals primarily on whether or not trusting the senses leads to the truth. Vague as it is but a sound investigation must start on philosophers who had taken such interests in the senses and their relationship to the truth. A thorough analysis and better understanding not only clarifies but illuminates the distinction between deception and truth, trust and mistrust. Plato in his work, "Allegory of the Cave" published in his book The Polity presented the false reality that chained the people inside the cave. They had been blinded by ignorance and overshadowed by darkness. They believed that the shadows on the walls of the cave were true as opposed to the reality that these were just puppets and illusions. One of the prisoners had eventually escaped and seen the light. The sunlight represents the absolute Truth, which is what actually is, and is not relative to what any person might think to be truth (Christian Dunn, 2006). The point of Plato was to find the truth as the ultimate goal; relying on the senses to interpret reality would not give the truth. This perception of the truth will also be different from person to person. Furthermore, Plato suggested that our senses can be a distraction from the truth and should not be trusted because they are untrusting and false guides to realities. Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha argued otherwise. In "Meditation: The Path to Enlightenment," he chose to focus on the element of imagination and how it can alter our perceptions rather than on the falsity of our human senses. If something is seen as it really is, without integrating imagination, then the truth is always found and achieved. Senses can be trusted; however, imagination mixed with our senses creates a distorted perception. With the background and foundation laid, I am now ready to answer the question "Should we trust our senses to give us truth" Trusting our senses achieves the purpose of knowing what the truth is. It simply means allowing the mind to digest the information perceived through the senses and making judgment based on these perceptions. Every person's reactions although varied will detect that the stimuli have been responded to depending on the conditions and courses of an event. While an observation is a prelude to a deduction of what really happens, it is still with empirical knowledge that the truth is tested and settled. After all, a claim remains a claim if not backed up with facts. Nevertheless, trusting the senses still remains the ultimate paradigm that ushers the knowledge of the truth. In an unchartered territory, the most a person can do is to act according to his instincts and survive depending on a perception of this environment. Needless to say, it is the right time for his senses to be utilized and maximized. Imagine being stuck in the Arabian Desert. What penetrate your eyes are visions of sand, sky, date palms, and occasional arachnids like scorpions, ticks and spiders. The dust swaying in the air provides an unbearable smell. The resolute stillness and serenity generate a deafening sound as well as the booming of the wind. The taste of water and soda creeps into your nerves and makes you thirst. Worse of all, the scorching heat reaches up to 54C. All these in consideration will determine the ability of a person to forge his reactions based on stimuli. Let's say there is a snake in the middle of the Desert. Trapped in this situation, the individual must find ways to get rid of the snake. How When the senses have perceived the foreboding danger, the person must then act skillfully in trying to avoid the snake. Killing the snake is also an option but requires an adept skill, experience and machinery. The perception (snake nearby) is converted to a reaction (danger) before carrying out the action (avoid or kill the snake). Without trusting the senses in the first place not only jeopardizes the truth but endangers the life of the individual. The senses are pristine gifts. They are the fabric that keeps the human body function in the way that it should. In fact, science tells us that the elaboration of touch and vision supplements the senses of smell, hearing, and taste, providing the person with a sensory armament of great range and flexibility (Encyclopdia Britannica, 2009). Senses are really integrated to the central nervous system. What else should we do than to trust our senses Whatever information we perceive serves as the input, to be processed in the brain and from there an output is derived, usually an action to be undertaken. Scientifically speaking, the brain receives, analyzes, and synthesizes the sensory input from visual, olfactory, auditory, gustatory, and tactile receptors and converts them into the appropriate motor responses. In a busy subway like New York's, people just come and go. The commuters are like ants that make use of their senses - sight: to go where they are headed, hearing: to be aware of the sound of an approaching train, taste: to devour chocolates while waiting, smell: to have their bodies sprayed with perfumes and touch: to extend a helping hand to a lost passenger. The point here is very simple; our senses are vital, clearly, a means to an end. They provide men and women alike the view of the world. Because of them, we can react, compare, contrast, argue, act, fight and live. They create notions of what the truth really is. The senses are also responsible for defining an experience everytime a perception has been carried over to action. Beautiful scenery can be brought larger to life by the images captured - a vision that marvels in awe. Not to be outdone, the sense of touch ignites excitement when a gadget such as a new Ipod, Blackberry or a ThinkPad gets in the way. The smell of fruitcakes and pizzas signals the stomach to prepare for digestion. All the more, the taste associated with this delectable menu is a treat like no other. Music, be it pop, contemporary or ballad, is another way of having a life entertained. These provide the best of experiences. Through our senses, we are also learning lessons. When failure is inevitable, then we get up and do great next time remembering what Cate Blanchett said, "If you know you are going to fail, then fail gloriously." How can this be related to senses Failure is not what we generally aim for but it happens. By bombarding the brain receptors with information that categorically contains subjects of failure, our resistance and ability to fight back intensify making us better. You see in the movie "The Great Debaters," Melvin Tolson (portrayed by Denzel Washington) told his students that defeat would make them stronger. Likewise, from a perception of a possible failure, the mind has been processed to act accordingly and deliver the best appropriate response. Some people have argued that senses can be deceived and are inadequate to determine truth just like Descartes. But, on a more personal note, relying on our senses does not complicate and contradict with the existing reality. The truth we find is not concealed when we have done so. It still remains just around the corner, only waiting for us to unearth or uncover it. By investigating things with our senses used to the fullest, it enables us to divulge the whole situation and encapsulate the bigger picture without partiality but with a firmness founded on the truth. The abilities we have developed as a result of the perception of our senses make the truth even closer within our grasp. Senses as wonderful gifts must really not be mistrusted or mislooked. When all else fails, it is wise to trust our human instincts. Deception is the complete irony of truth. Seeking the truth and believing on its integrity and strength is not an easy task but trusting the senses doesn't hurt either. It demands to see the totality, something that is not just superficial but underneath. It may be true that the truth we find is not the truth we seek. Just learn to distinguish and know what exactly you are looking for. So, should we trust our senses to give us truth The answer is yes. Determining what the truth is and what it is not deals with relying much on the discernment that our senses have ingeniously perceived. Trust your senses. They lead to the truth. Works Cited Christian Dunn. Response to the Allegory of the Cave. 2006 Descartes, Ren. Meditations on First Philosophy: in Which the Existence of God and the Distinction of the Soul from the Body are Demonstrated. Trans. Donald A. Cress. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing, 1993. "Descartes, Ren." Encyclopdia Britannica. Ultimate Reference Suite. Chicago:Encyclopdia Britannica, 2009. "primate." Encyclopdia Britannica. Ultimate Reference Suite. Chicago:Encyclopdia Britannica, 2009. Read More