Chapter 3Chapter 3

The Real World: The Real World:

Knowing & UnknowingKnowing & Unknowing

Buckminster Fuller Buckminster Fuller writes:writes:““All the biologicals are converting All the biologicals are converting chaos to beautiful order. All biology is chaos to beautiful order. All biology is antientropic. Of all the disorder-to-antientropic. Of all the disorder-to-order converters, the human mind is by order converters, the human mind is by far the most impressive. The human’s far the most impressive. The human’s most powerful metaphysical drive is to most powerful metaphysical drive is to understand, to order, to sort out, and understand, to order, to sort out, and rearrange in ever more orderly and rearrange in ever more orderly and understandably constructive ways. You understandably constructive ways. You find then that man’s true function is find then that man’s true function is metaphysical.”metaphysical.”

KnowledgeKnowledge

•The study of how the mind The study of how the mind gathers knowledge is called gathers knowledge is called epistemologyepistemology

•The mind is endowed with four The mind is endowed with four channels for gathering channels for gathering information: senses, reason, information: senses, reason, intuition and authorityintuition and authority

Epistemic AwarenessEpistemic Awareness

•Epistemic NaiveteEpistemic Naivete

•Epistemic AwarenessEpistemic Awareness

The Senses: Empirical The Senses: Empirical KnowledgeKnowledge

•EmpiricismEmpiricism

•Objective sensesObjective senses

•Subjective sensesSubjective senses

•Naïve realismNaïve realism

Knowledge from Others: Knowledge from Others: AuthorityAuthority

• Other people are major sources of Other people are major sources of information for each of us, but all information for each of us, but all such secondhand fact-claims are by such secondhand fact-claims are by nature distanced from our own immediate nature distanced from our own immediate experience where we can better judge experience where we can better judge the validity of such claimsthe validity of such claims

• ““Anyone who conducts an argument by Anyone who conducts an argument by appealing to authority is not using his appealing to authority is not using his intelligence; he is just using his intelligence; he is just using his memory.” --Leonardo da Vincimemory.” --Leonardo da Vinci

Reason: Using Known Reason: Using Known FactsFacts

•DeductionDeduction

•InductionInduction

•ProbableProbable

•NecessaryNecessary

Intuition: Knowledge Intuition: Knowledge from the Depthsfrom the Depths

•Intuition refers to insights or Intuition refers to insights or bits of knowledge that emerge into bits of knowledge that emerge into the light of consciousness as a the light of consciousness as a result of deeper subconscious result of deeper subconscious activityactivity

•The principle weakness of intuition The principle weakness of intuition and feeling as sources of knowledge and feeling as sources of knowledge is that the insights they produce is that the insights they produce are as likely to be wrong as rightare as likely to be wrong as right

John LockeJohn LockeReality & AppearanceReality & Appearance

•““Appearance versus reality”Appearance versus reality”

•He defines probability as He defines probability as “likeliness to be true.” Or again: “likeliness to be true.” Or again: “probability is nothing but the “probability is nothing but the appearance of such an agreement or appearance of such an agreement or disagreement by the intervention of disagreement by the intervention of proofs” whose connections are loose proofs” whose connections are loose but still appear to provide a but still appear to provide a modicum of coherencemodicum of coherence

Reflections…Reflections…

•Note the two basic Note the two basic epistemological problems. Is it epistemological problems. Is it clear to you at this point why clear to you at this point why these are so important? Can you these are so important? Can you summarize briefly your summarize briefly your understanding of each?understanding of each?

SensesSenses

•How much can we trust the How much can we trust the senses?senses?

•How much do the senses lie to How much do the senses lie to us?us?

•Is there any way we can “get Is there any way we can “get around” them and find out what around” them and find out what is really going on in the world is really going on in the world beyond our sense?beyond our sense?

We Never See the Real We Never See the Real WorldWorld

•Our senses constitute our Our senses constitute our interfaceinterface – the boundary of – the boundary of contact between two adjacent contact between two adjacent realms – with realityrealms – with reality

•TransducerTransducer – any substance or – any substance or device that converts one form device that converts one form of energy into another of energy into another different form of energydifferent form of energy

VisionVision

•Consider vision as a paradigm Consider vision as a paradigm for the transduction process of for the transduction process of all our sensesall our senses

•What are “light waves”?What are “light waves”?

The Mind Manufactures The Mind Manufactures ExperienceExperience•ColorColor

•SoundSound

•TasteTaste

•SmellSmell

•TouchTouch

Our Senses DeceiveOur Senses Deceive

•Is the grapefruit yellow?Is the grapefruit yellow?

•““Language captures and Language captures and crystallizes our perceptions, crystallizes our perceptions, whether or not those whether or not those perceptions are correct.”perceptions are correct.”

Sensory Limitations and Sensory Limitations and RealityReality• ““If we arbitrarily divide the range of If we arbitrarily divide the range of all electromagnetic wave radiation into all electromagnetic wave radiation into sixty “octaves,” then visually we can sixty “octaves,” then visually we can perceive only a single octave, from perceive only a single octave, from about 3800 to 7200 angstrom units.”about 3800 to 7200 angstrom units.”

• ““It is a bit unnerving to realize how It is a bit unnerving to realize how little physical reality we humans little physical reality we humans perceive, and how many more realms of perceive, and how many more realms of reality exist beyond our perceptual reality exist beyond our perceptual range that other creatures naturally range that other creatures naturally know and use.” (Ex.bat’s radar system)know and use.” (Ex.bat’s radar system)

Epistemic LonelinessEpistemic Loneliness

• We live in an epistemological shell with We live in an epistemological shell with no doorsno doors

• 1) The fallacy of objectification is a 1) The fallacy of objectification is a constant temptationconstant temptation

• 2) We have all lived in a condition of 2) We have all lived in a condition of confusion regarding the location of confusion regarding the location of object/eventsobject/events

• 3) Critical intellects are restless with 3) Critical intellects are restless with these evolutionary arrangements with these evolutionary arrangements with their limitations and deceptionstheir limitations and deceptions

The Pragmatic Nature of The Pragmatic Nature of KnowingKnowing

•If we experience only our If we experience only our experiences (and not reality), experiences (and not reality), how can we be sure we know how can we be sure we know anything about the real world?anything about the real world?

David HumeDavid Hume

•““The skeptic still continues to The skeptic still continues to reason and believe, though he reason and believe, though he asserts that he cannot defend his asserts that he cannot defend his reason by reason; and by the same reason by reason; and by the same rule he must assent to the rule he must assent to the principle concerning the principle concerning the existence of body, though he existence of body, though he cannot pretend, by any arguments cannot pretend, by any arguments of philosophy, to maintain its of philosophy, to maintain its veracity.” veracity.”

George BerkeleyGeorge BerkeleyThe Irish ImmaterialistThe Irish Immaterialist

•Esse est percipiEsse est percipi – “to be is to – “to be is to be perceived”be perceived”

•There was a young man who said,There was a young man who said,““God God Must think it exceedingly oddMust think it exceedingly oddIf he finds that this treeIf he finds that this treeContinues to beContinues to beWhen there’s no one about in the When there’s no one about in the Quad.”Quad.”

Reflections…Reflections…

•This chapter speaks of This chapter speaks of “epistemic loneliness.” Are “epistemic loneliness.” Are these words meaningful to you? these words meaningful to you? Can you feel this condition Can you feel this condition personally or does it not apply personally or does it not apply to you?to you?

MindMind

•Moving through abstractions to Moving through abstractions to rediscover concrete events is a rediscover concrete events is a major problem for all who seek major problem for all who seek to know the truth about the to know the truth about the worldworld

The Pragmatic ThinkerThe Pragmatic Thinker

•Tabula rasaTabula rasa – “blank tablet” – “blank tablet”

•Human knowledge is a collection Human knowledge is a collection of constructs created by the of constructs created by the mind from the raw materials of mind from the raw materials of sensation; it is a series of sensation; it is a series of scaled-down maps that we use to scaled-down maps that we use to find our way in the full-scale find our way in the full-scale territory of the real worldterritory of the real world

Why We Think in Why We Think in AbstractionsAbstractions•Abstraction – an idea created by Abstraction – an idea created by the mind to refer to all objects the mind to refer to all objects which, possessing certain which, possessing certain characteristics in common, are characteristics in common, are thought of in the same classthought of in the same class

•At high levels of abstraction we At high levels of abstraction we tend to group together objects. tend to group together objects. What is the result?What is the result?

Classifying & LabelingClassifying & Labeling

•Gogo, gigi, dabas, dobos, busa, Gogo, gigi, dabas, dobos, busa, busana?busana?

•Systems of clarification are Systems of clarification are reflexivereflexive

•Systems of clarification are Systems of clarification are pragmaticpragmatic

Our Mental GridsOur Mental Grids

•Our minds, says Bergson, can Our minds, says Bergson, can indeed “move through” all the indeed “move through” all the pragmatic grids and intuit the pragmatic grids and intuit the nature of reality itself. By a nature of reality itself. By a sort of “intellectual empathy” we sort of “intellectual empathy” we can come to know the very-can come to know the very-changing, endlessly moving changing, endlessly moving continuum that is reality.continuum that is reality.

•Reality is, and that is all.Reality is, and that is all.

Henri BergsonHenri Bergson…to be a Hummingbird…to be a Hummingbird

• Bergson made it intellectually Bergson made it intellectually respectable to believe that human respectable to believe that human beings could be free, responsible, beings could be free, responsible, fully human, and immortalfully human, and immortal

• Life as an adventure of the mindLife as an adventure of the mind

• The primary function of human The primary function of human intelligence is to go to the heart of intelligence is to go to the heart of things, to understand objects/events things, to understand objects/events in the real world exactly as they arein the real world exactly as they are

Reflections…Reflections…

•Summarize in our words the point Summarize in our words the point Bergson is making when he tells Bergson is making when he tells us that our minds have a habit of us that our minds have a habit of “chopping reality into “chopping reality into fragments.” Is this meaningful to fragments.” Is this meaningful to you personally? Could Bergson’s you personally? Could Bergson’s insights lead you to change your insights lead you to change your way of seeing and thinking about way of seeing and thinking about reality?reality?

TruthTruth

•How can we be sure of our How can we be sure of our facts?facts?

Truth-TestsTruth-Tests

•Correspondence TestCorrespondence Test

•Coherence TestCoherence Test

•Pragmatic TestPragmatic Test

•Pragmatic ParadoxPragmatic Paradox

William JamesWilliam James“Truth Happens to an Idea”“Truth Happens to an Idea”

•What does it mean for an idea to be What does it mean for an idea to be true?true?

•““What, in short, is the truth’s cash What, in short, is the truth’s cash value in experiential terms?”…The value in experiential terms?”…The truth of an idea is not a stagnant truth of an idea is not a stagnant property inherent in it. Truth property inherent in it. Truth happens to an idea. It becomes true, happens to an idea. It becomes true, is made true by events. Its verity is made true by events. Its verity is in fact an event, a process.”is in fact an event, a process.”

Reflections…Reflections…

•Can you see a way out of the Can you see a way out of the pragmatic paradox? Is it indeed pragmatic paradox? Is it indeed a paradox in the sense that one a paradox in the sense that one must actually deceive himself – must actually deceive himself – that is, that he must believe that is, that he must believe that an idea is true on the that an idea is true on the wrong criterion – to make an wrong criterion – to make an idea work?idea work?