How to Distinguish Between Something That Is True and Something That Is Believed to Be True - Essay Example

How can the different ways of knowing help us to distinguish between something that is true and something that is believed to be true? The different ways of knowing allows an individual to distinguish whether something ‘is true’ or ‘believed to be true’. Truth is a fact or a belief that is accepted to be true. In order for something to be true, it must be accepted independently by the public . This therefore means that if truth does not follow that course of action it cannot be considered as “true”. Depending on one’s own background, personal beliefs, implications and counterclaims, the truth can be distinguished from something that is true and something that is believed to be true. Different ways of knowing can help us distinguish between the different truths through an individual’s perception, emotion, reason and language. This could therefore help us distinguish between something that is true and something that is believed to be true. The different “ways of knowing” tell us about different ways in which to approach ideas. Science for example is an archaic knowledge of any kind1. This way of knowing elaborates different theories, which are based on tested experiments. Proof is what assists in underlining a statement whether correct or incorrect, which in a way justifies reality but might not be believed to be true. We cannot debate logic in mathematics for example, since 2 + 2 equals to 4 and everyone around us knows it and cannot say otherwise, which is consequently the truth. Obeying precise laws for instance shows deductive reasoning, and we continue to follow even if it appears not factual. This trend of following continues until one is capable of disputing it. Science has given rise to industrial revolution but the science in which I believe in, often appears against some of the religious practices, since science can cure in a realistic way and uses a rational method as an explanation of a rational phenomenon. Experimentation is a procedure in order to make new discoveries or to demonstrate a known fact. The observation of nature for instance could be categorized as a way of experimentation. Since observation is regarded as the use of direction or sense, these ‘directions’ can be a vector to knowledge. The etymology of knowledge, coming from the Latin word gecnāwan meaning ‘to identify’, distinguishes ‘knowing that’ from ‘knowing how’, which is also known as propositional knowledge. This propositional knowledge, contrasting the knowledge “that” from the knowledge “how” could be illustrated by mathematics; It is known “that” 2+2=4 whereas on the other hand there is also the knowledge of “how” to add the numbers. Reason is the first element that leads truth to knowledge i.e. “Know you yourself”2. The oldest and the least advanced knowledge is; human beings knowing about themselves. This is a very difficult task, which is not about to finish. Since human beings are affected by everything around them, they seem to think in a way unnaturally and most of the time not independently. The visions of sciences have affected individuals even though they have their own different perspectives, since mathematics is the only science believed to be true. The will to explain something by reason is what distinguishes us human beings from animals. Reason is the human capacity, which is used by applying logic. For instance, if I were to place my hand in fire, my immediate reaction would be to withdraw it. This therefore teaches me not to do it again because it harms. Sense on the other hand, as professed by Aristotle, is a source of “error” since it allows only one approach partial of reality. There are two types of worlds, a world of the ideas and the sensitive world. The truth is in the world of the ideas. The senses only mislead our knowledge of things. One could argue that killing a human being is incorrect whereas another could see it as an essential, but which one is believed to be “true”? But the definition of knowledge is insufficient. How to explain the religion? How it may be that there are things which one cannot explain? Belief is an acceptance that a statement is true or that something exists. Knowledge, is what when one sees a person smiling or making a gesture, which we understand. Knowledge gets deciphered usually from the same society. This cannot be done at the school level but requires an implicit training throughout the life of the individual. Interaction with others also plays an important role. In general, feelings are an emotional state or a reaction. For example, the feeling of being in love is a feeling, which one does not realize and is “plugged by a higher force”. On the other hand, one who does not like this truth could thus persist to be on the wrong side of the fence. This therefore means that false judgment is different than bad faith. An example would be saying, “He was a true friend”. We cannot prove this statement since we “know” it. But how do we know if someone is lying? We have tried new approaches at times of interrogations for legal affairs but mostly we use the ones based on the virtues of the individual one. “To swear on the Bible” that one will say “all the truth, only the truth” is a means of knowing but does not prevent the abuses. At last, what is “truth”? In a sense, “truth” is more or less relative. It depends principally on the point of view. Universal truth also relies on different points of views to a level where understanding is essential. Unconsciousness is when one believes something without knowledge. For example, what is the religious truth? Can religion make it possible to go towards the truth and to explain an unexplainable phenomenon by reason? Descartes in the Meditations metaphysics tried to prove the existence of God by reason. This assumption was disputing the affirmation that it was not possible. Religion is something which exceeds us and transcends us. We cannot explain everything. Science can help us find truth but such truths are termed as scientific truths. For the others, it is a question of believing in the truth; implicating that truth is then regarded as a belief. But for many, that does not prevent a certain number of people from believing in it since philosophy in itself is the search of truth and wisdom. There exists various means of knowledge intended to make known to us a truth. However these means are varied and these truths also carry different shades. This is what makes this question a broader questioning about knowledge. Nevertheless self-knowledge is learnt by own experience since there is no science to make it known. Yet it is necessary to make the distinction between truth and what seems true. Quite often we find that the level of distinction between the two can be very negligible. But are they the only elements, which can inform us about things, and could ‘reason’ explain it all? There are different ways in which to answer the question. An individual could not take anything for truth, could doubt everything or could be skeptical. Rationalism comes from the Latin word meaning; “reason” which is a point of view explaining that reason plays the main role in understanding the world and obtaining knowledge3. Three philosophers; Rene Descartes, Gottfried Wilhelm and Baruch Spinoza all believed the world could only be understood through logic and reasoning. Rationalism could be used to determine whether a phenomenon is true or believed to be true by weighing the pros and cons along with not accepting emotions that affects the knowledge of understanding. Constructivism is a view of knowledge, which is constructed without human perception. “The norm of the truth is to have made it”4. Here, knowledge is believed to be made, meaning it has to come for a source, and one should experience it in order to believe. Skepticism is a state when a person doubts all accepted opinions. Skepticism argues that there must at least the basic belief in order to know whether something is true with the help of perception. To conclude, “The possession of knowledge does not kill the sense of wonder and mystery. There is always more mystery”5. The different ways of knowing help us distinguish “truth” to what we believe is true. Even though branches of knowledge have not yet been discovered or explained, or if it has, only by science, individuals will use appropriate and rational ways of knowledge to distinguish between the different “truths”. Read More