Learning the Theory of Knowledge - Essay Example

Theory of Knowledge (TOK) pertains to how a is able to know or learn something. The ways of knowing differs for different areas and this is what makes TOK challenging and interesting. Sense organs, reason, emotions, language are the four ways through we gain knowledge and we learn different areas through different means. According to Russell (1926) TOK is a product of doubt. Plato defines knowledge as ‘justified true belief’ (Wikipedia) and a "belief" is a state of mind, which can be shown by behavior, without any corresponding "mental" occurrence (Russell). Russell further contends that if a belief is to be causally important it must be defined as a characteristic of behavior. This explanation cannot be termed as definite because the result of the behavior or action determines if the belief held was true or false. If the search for food results in success, the belief was true but in case of failure, the belief is considered false. This does not truly justify that knowledge is true belief. Russell believes there are two methods of inference – deduction and induction. Deduction is merely saying the same thing in another way while induction can be mistaken inference. Human beings have been endowed with sense organs or the organs of perception but most often these are all taken for granted. People know many things like whether they feel cold or hot; whether it is raining or snowing, or when the sun will rise or set. Descartes argues that the ideas about taste, feel, pain, pleasure, hunger, thirst, sadness or happiness come to us without our consent (Newman, 2005). All these are perceived through the sense organs and with the assistance of the memory, they reach the imagination. The mind receives the data through the nerves from all parts of the body to produce sensory awareness. The mind has a habit of believing what it perceives. This registers in the mind as an experience or knowledge gained through experience. Each person acts or behaves according to their prior experience or their sense of perception. Organs of sight do not increase knowledge. The physical eyes merely see but unless what has been seen can be absorbed or truly perceived, the ‘seeing; has no meaning. Seeing is involuntary; perception is not. We conceive, perceive and assimilate what we are interested in. This experience differs from one person to another. When a glass is partially filled with water, the physical eyes perceive it. One person may say that the glass is half-filled with water while the other would say that the glass is half empty. If the eyes were seeing, both would ‘see’ exactly the same. So the knowledge is not gained through the eyes but through individual perception. This is a method of deduction. Emotions and reason are equally important in the process of learning. Emotion arises from a person’s heart like the love of the mother for her child. She does not need any reason to love him. Emotion influences a person’s belief. In the darkness a person can misunderstand the rope for a snake and become scared. When during bright day light he sees the rope, the mind is not willing to accept that he had made a mistake in understanding it as a snake. It was the fear (an emotion) that made him believe that it was a snake even though in the light he could see that it was a rope. The mind is very powerful and dictates how each organ should respond to stimuli. Belief plays tricks on the mind and influences the process of learning. In Russell’s words, he inferred in darkness that it was a snake (method of induction) and would not give in that he was mistaken. The TOK has to help to decide what is right. Reason is another important way of learning in the TOK. Reasoning is the technique used by most philosophers to arrive at the truth. Reason helps to analyze the situation deeply and take decisions. Reason is not automatic; it comes through experience. Once a king groomed a monkey to be his most trustworthy and natural companion (Ashliman, 2002). The monkey was asked to keep strict vigilance while the king slept one day. The monkey soon found a bee hovering over his master and unable to bear that someone should disturb his master, the monkey drew out his sword and struck down the bee in a single stroke. The same blow split the king’s head and any amount of explanation did not matter. The money was shunned by everyone but through this experience, people realized that it is better to have a clever enemy than a foolish friend. This also shows that the power of reasoning increases in times of trouble. Had the kind’s head not been smashed, people would never think of anything wrong in having a monkey (or a foolish entity) as a friend. Hence knowledge is acquired faster and better in times of trouble or sorrow. Secondly, such situations allow a person to reason out and take informed decisions. Language is another method of communication and learning. People use patterns of sounds or symbols for communication. This is called language and it is bound by the rules of grammar and it is bound by rules of grammar. To learn history language is necessary. Besides, there are many areas which we have not learned or gained experience but we have knowledge about the subject. To this Huxley (n.d.) says, ‘words form the thread on which we string our experiences’. Thus to learn different things we need to use different ways. When we attain knowledge about something we get the right perception, an insight into the facts. Without the right perception it remains as a physical seeing. People analyze things or situations based on the perception that has formed in their mind due to past experience. It may help in certain cases but the right judgment and perception can come only when gains insight into any subject. Gaining the insight is the theory of knowledge. Hence truth has to be sought in different areas of study because learning takes place through different means. References: Ashliman D L (2002), The Panchatantra, 30 April 2008 Huxley, Aldous (n.d.), ALDOUS HUXLEY: QUOTES, 30 April 2008 Newman, L (2005), Descartes Epistemology, 30 April 2008 Russell, Bertrand (1926.), Theory of Knowledge, 30 April 2008 Wikipedia, Theory of Knowledge, 30 April 2008 Read More