A Guide through the Theory of Knowledge - Term Paper Example

Are some ways of knowing more likely than others to lead to truth? Introduction The theory of knowledge starts with a definition of knowledge which looks at knowledge as those true beliefs that are justified or in other words, ‘justified true beliefs’. From Plato till Bertrand Russell (Russell, Bertrand. 1912), this has been the perception of knowledge until the Gettier cases were brought into focus. The Gettier cases established the contrary that justified true beliefs may not really be knowledge after all. This implied that just because there are beliefs or faiths that can be true and that are justified, they need not be construed as knowledge. The definition of what is knowledge thus standards eluding. However, the following definition of knowledge can be taken for our current consideration. Information or data that is gathered by any one or any thing, using the ways of knowing can be construed as knowledge. Knowledge has to be known to become knowledge. Therefore, knowing is an important activity or part of the knowledge. For our current consideration, this may be taken as the definition of what knowledge is. Ways of Knowing The above definition of knowledge brings into focus the ways of knowledge. What is ‘knowing’ and what are the ways of knowing? Knowing is to gather information or data about something of interest to a person or object. Webster’s English dictionary defines the word ‘knowing’ as: Possessing information may be special on any specific subject or object. This also places the word ‘know’ under question. ‘Know’ is to have some idea or information on a specific subject or object of interest. If this is to, how can a person ‘know’ about something? Knowing then is what one can gather information or data about. One can know about the object of interest in the following ways: 1. Perception 2. Reason 3. Language 4. Emotion A person might gather information or ‘know’ about an object or a person using any of these methods. These therefore, are the ways of knowing and hence the ways to get the knowledge that one would like to possess. In addition, knowledge is accepted as knowledge by subjecting it to the knowledge tests, viz., coherence, correspondence, pragmatism and consensus. If the knowledge when subjected to any of these tests comes out successfully, then the same may be considered as knowledge. Similarly, there are nine justifications for the knowledge. These are the ones that help in bringing about or reasons for having knowledge. These include logic, sensory perception, revelation, faith, memory, consensus, authority, intuition and self-awareness make up the nine justifications of knowledge. Perception Perception of an object would depend on every individuals thought and action. The state of mind also alters the perception a person has on an object. This also decides what the person understands about the event or object when he encounters it. This would depend on the perception of the person. However, it can also be noted that such perceptions are normally ultra sensitive perceptions that seems more like things outside of the living earth. This would include even the Platonic Forms that are more a representation of the remote thoughts and actions that change the way work but are influenced by our ‘perception’ of the object or the subject and not on other factors (Morton 2002). Perception has been more refined now to mean only those that are realized through sensory perception and not anything else so that any other means of perception or avoided in the ways of knowledge. Therefore, it can be taken that perception today means only those information that are gathered using any of the sensory perceptions like seen, heard, felt, etc. Therefore, it now includes all that is read or heard through some one or from some thing to make the knowledge learnt through perception. This implies that learning is also a knowledge gathering exercise and education is one such process. However, perception or seeing is possibly the beginning of gathering information or knowledge. But as John Berger (1983) says, ‘knowledge does not always fit the sight that we see’. He explains his point using the fact that every day we see the sun set. We also know that it is because the earth is what is turning away from the sun. But still, the experience and what we see is not in line with the knowledge that we have on the subject. Perception is a learning process but perception alone does not produce knowledge. Reason In order to explain this, rationalists use the learning process of reason to be the basis of our knowledge gathering exercise. Reason is also a way of knowing. This happens when what we have learnt through perception or observation is further tuned by the thought of reason. For instance, when a ball is thrown up in the air and it falls back to the earth, our ‘reasoning’ suggests that this happens because everything on this planet and in the universe needs to obey the laws of gravity. It is the knowledge that we have gathered by other means of learning that helps us in reasoning out what is happening. The same way, in the earlier example, our earlier knowledge of sun and its motion would help us ‘reason’ out the knowledge. This forms the rationalistic view of learning or acquiring knowledge. There were a number of proponents of knowledge who felt that rationalism or reasoning is the core of knowledge building. This includes such rationalistic philosophers as Rene Descartes, Leibniz and Baruch Spinoza. The idea of reasoning suffers once it is countered with experimentation and the need to experiment. It is true that knowledge can be gathered using reason. But reason alone is not the sole provider of all knowledge (Tim Holt 2004). May be reason could explain the perception wherever it is possible. Beyond certain limits, reason seems to fail and it is the experimentation and research that leads reason forward. This indicates that the reason leads into empiricism or experimental and mathematical proofing. Many researchers look at empiricism also as a part of the rational or reason based learning process or knowledge gathering exercise. Language Language on the other hand is another major source of knowledge and way to knowing. It is the language that builds communication between people; in talking to one another, visually communicating as well as providing oral and written communication. It therefore, follows that every perception and reason had to be expressed using a language. Whether it is mathematical reasoning or scientific experimentation, the entire work unless it is well expressed in a language the knowledge becomes unusable. That is why; many researchers even indicate that the controlling way of knowing is the language. Unless a powerful presence of language is noted, it is difficult to have knowledge created and acquired. Whatever be the sources of our knowledge, it comes to the learner in a language. Therefore, language is the ultimate medium for all knowledge processes and ways to know. This has been found to be the major controlling factor of knowing. Emotion One of the other ways of knowing is the emotion. Emotion is sometimes a prompter; sometimes a blinding mechanism. While emotion might be essential in letting the other person take the same feeling as your own, in cases like art or literature. There reflection of such an emotion would entail the reader to gather more information about the object under discussion. For instance, if one is writing on the atomic bomb explosions in Japan during the Second World War II, there is need for emotional involvement in the same. If that is not there, then the article about it may not be complete. Emotional involvement and emotional reflection of what happened during that period has to be reflected in the words or in the language that is used. The ideas and opinions should also have a tinge of emotion in them. It cannot be a rationalistic or just an empirical presentation of what is needed. The same way there are knowledge areas that can only be bettered with the presence of emotion in it and not other scientific approaches. Additionally, if there is a strong emotional involvement in a reasoning requirement, there is also the possibility that the person might be successful in arriving at the right reasoning. For instance, when the quest for an empirical solution or a pharmaceutical requirement to fight against a disease is on, and the person involved has an emotional reason to fight it, then the chances that he or she will find a solution is very high. The emotion has its own knowledge base created. Conclusion Ways of knowing are the methods by which knowledge is gathered in this world. There is no one single method that makes the knowledge. There are also no controlling factors or way of knowing that ensures the learning process or the knowledge gathering complete. Every one of the methods is essential to ensure that the knowledge is gathered. Every one of them works independently, at the same time, work together wherever needed to ensure that knowledge is gathered. Research is still on in understanding what knowledge is and how knowledge really works. But it is essential that the ways of knowing is suitably mastered. There could be more ways of knowing or more refinements to the methods could come up. Knowledge on knowledge is still preliminary even after studying it for more than three centuries. As to the ways of knowledge, there is no single path to the truth. It is a combination of perception, reason, language and emotion that leads to the ultimate truth. References 1. "knowing." Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law. Merriam-Webster, Inc. 17 Dec. 2007. . 2. Metamorphosis, 2007, Two ways of Knowing. Available at: http://www.trans4mind.com/transformation/transform4.6.htm 3. Morton A, 2002. A Guide through the Theory of Knowledge. Wiley- Blackwell. 4. Russell, Bertrand. 1912. The Problems of Philosophy, New York: Oxford University Press 5. Southwell G, 2007, Theory of Knowledge. Available at: http://www.philosophyonline.co.uk/index.html 6. Tim Holt, 2004, The theory of Knowledge. Available at: http://www.theoryofknowledge.info/ Read More