How Do You Acquire Knowledge - 992 Words

How do you acquire knowledge? How can we know the nature of reality? That is the question that epistemology asks. But what is epistemology itself and where does it come from? Epistemology focuses on studying knowledge and justified beliefs. What is it that makes knowledge enough and what makes justified beliefs justifiable? Immanuel Kant was a German philosopher born on April 22nd, 1724. He was the man who attempted to build a bridge between the empiricists and the rationalists. When looking at these two schools of thought one can see that they truly are polar opposites. Empiricist s focus is that all knowledge becomes known to us through the senses. Knowledge is experience based. John Locke attempted to explain this stance by dividing this theory into two ideas. The first is that there are simple ideas and the second is that there are complex ideas. Simple ideas are based on what we see. Factors like color, shape, size, texture, etc. come into play here. The complex ideas are simple ideas combined. Rationalists on the other hand believe in â€Å"innate ideas, reason, and deduction.† (Clay) They believe that we have some ideas, some knowledge before we are born. You also obtain knowledge through reason. They do not agree with the empiricists because they believe that the senses cannot give reasons. They only give opinions. Our senses can not always be trusted because they can lead us to believe something that is not. A prominent figure of of rat ionalism is Descartes.Show MoreRelatedThe Human Experience : An Abstract Concept Essay1371 Words   |  6 Pagescategories and the way one acquires new knowledge is no exception. Leaders in education are still trying to place students into learning categories that they can understand and control. These attempts have not been successful because not only do we all learn in different ways, but the way in which we attain knowledge is diversified by our ever-changing present circumstances. Human beings and their experiences are complex and diverse and should be imagined as such. Acquiring knowledge is an abstract conceptRead MoreDifference Between Ownership And A Sense Of Self1287 Words   |  6 Pages Anywhere in the world, someone acquires something, whether it be money, a car, or even an idea. We can â€Å"own† many intangible and tangible items in life, but how does ownership relate to a sense of self? This question has been constantly answered for centuries through intelli gent people like Plato, Aristotle, and Jean-Paul Sartre. However, the question has received no agreeable answer. In the end, people will agree that there is a strong and positive relationship between ownership and a sense ofRead MorePhysicalism Vs Knowledge Argument1429 Words   |  6 Pagesarguments is the knowledge argument. The knowledge argument illustrates that physicalism is false. The knowledge argument was created by Frank Jackson and he explained this argument in his paper, â€Å"What Mary Didn’t Know.† This paper introduces the reader to a thought experiment that focuses on Mary, a scientist, who is locked inside of a black and white room. While she is in this room, she learns everything about the physical world and she knows every fact. The knowledge argument considersRead MoreArtifact Speech678 Words   |  3 PagesGetter: How many of you like to travel? How many of you wish that you had all the time and money to travel around the world? I co nsidered myself privilege to have the opportunity to visit different countries of the world. Some of the countries that I have visited include Japan, Singapore, Canada and the United States. B.Thesis Statement: This globe represents different countries I have visited and the countries I have yet to see. This globe also represents my desire to seek and acquire knowledgeRead MoreRelationship Between Ownership And A Sense Of Self1334 Words   |  6 Pages Anywhere in the world, someone acquires something, whether it be money, a car, or even an idea. We can â€Å"own† many intangible and tangible items in life, but how does ownership relate to a sense and development of self? This question has been constantly answered for centuries through intelligent people like Plato, Aristotle, and Jean-Paul Sartre. However, the question has received no agreeable answer. In the end, people will agree that there is a strong and positive relationship between ownershipRead MoreThe s Theory Of Knowledge1664 Words   |  7 Pagesbeings, we have the natural propensity to acquire knowledge from our evolving environment, through different ways of knowing such as perception, reason, emoti on and language. Knowledge can be defined as information acquired from experience or education or the awareness of a situation. Thus, denoting experience, education and awareness as the roots of knowledge. Consequently, if a knower is not able to experience an event or be educated, the concept of knowledge may cease to exist. Therefore, in orderRead MorePlato, Augustine And Aquinas962 Words   |  4 PagesHow do we know things? Where does our knowledge come from? Plato, Augustine and Aquinas all had different ideas of what was the true definition of knowledge and how you are able to acquire that specific notion of knowledge. Plato claims that we are only able to acquire it through reason. What does he mean by reason? How would Augustine and Aquinas respond to his claims? Among these three I will accept one theory and give you the reasons of why I believe it more than the others. Do we obtain it throughRead MoreThe Invention Of Lightning Rod1601 Words   |  7 Pages â€Å"When the only tool you have is a hammer, all problems begin to resemble nails† (Abraham Maslow). How might this apply to ways of knowing, as tools, in the pursuit of knowledge? It is possible that if we do not use Ways of Knowing in a too contracted and consistent way, it may limit the expanse and form of knowledge we are able to acquire. When attempting to acquire knowledge, one must have assets that will assist the process of solving issues. To a certain degree, Ways of Knowing are not sufficientRead MoreWhat Makes A Good Way For Students?1446 Words   |  6 Pagesphilosophy you are able to think outside of the box. Expand your imagination and gain knowledge of how other people see and have to terms with the world around us. It is extremely interesting in trying to find the answers to questions that have been unanswered for hundreds of years. It helps put many aspect of life in perspective and give life a greater meaning. It teaches you to understand how something takes place. A perfect example would be taking an acetaminphen for a headache. You know thatRead MoreProject Classroom Makeover By Cathy Davidson1384 Words   |  6 PagesIn earlier times, t he acquisition and spreading of knowledge was not used to improve society. Instead, it was used to have control and to exclude certain groups. It may have been agreed that there needed to be a change in the way that the education system was set up. In her essay, â€Å"Project Classroom Makeover†, Cathy Davidson discusses how the â€Å"one size fits all† model of learning hinders students from learning in a new and modernized way. She suggests the notion that using technology to teach and