On theories of knowledge and factors that affect human knowledge.

To understand the philosophy and psychology of knowledge, we must focus on theories of knowledge and the factors that affect human beings. When we say “Knowledge is power”, it definitely means that when we are armed with knowledge, we feel the power of the world in us. Knowledge makes us powerful and strong and that is why it is so important. Some people think that money is power. Is not true. Say if you leave this planet and go to live on Mars. Your coins and all the money will be useless. But if you have enough knowledge about how to survive planetary conditions on Mars, that will help you stay alive.

We must first try to understand “what is knowledge?” There is no general consensus on what knowledge is or how it is acquired. Knowledge is derived from “knowing” and knowing can mean believing that something is true. But is belief the same as knowledge? Not really. Because you can believe in ghosts or spirits, but you don’t really know who or what these spirits are. But you know that the earth rotates once in 24 hours because there is scientific evidence. You know that the tree in your garden will bear fruit during certain times of the year, so you think it will bear fruit during that time. So what we see here is that all knowledge creates belief, but all belief is not knowledge.

So the next question is obviously “how is knowledge acquired?” To answer this question, we need to understand the different theories of knowledge.

Theories of knowledge

Empiricism or empirical analysis

Among the most influential theories of knowledge is empiricism or empirical knowledge, empiricism was developed as a theory to describe scientific or observational knowledge. Therefore, empirical knowledge is that which is acquired through observation or through the use of the senses. This is the method of scientific inquiry that uses observation or the power of the senses to gain knowledge. Scientific experimentation uses the method of observation and the experimental method or analysis is ultimately based on the senses. What you see, hear, touch, smell, or taste helps you gain knowledge. But is this the ultimate knowledge or the only one? No, because our senses are limited. Therefore, the knowledge gained from scientific data may be limited.

Rationalism or logical analysis

Another form of knowledge is that which is obtained through rational analysis or logic. Logical analysis is what you do when you come to a logical conclusion from a set of data or principles. For example, when you have symptoms of high fever, headaches, weakness, etc., you arrive at a logical analysis that you are sick. When you see a cloudy sky, black clouds and rain predictions on television, you come to a logical analysis that it is going to rain and you should bring your umbrella or raincoat. We consider certain premises or factors, try to understand their interrelationships, and then come to logical conclusions. So, rational analysis is also a method of knowledge because it uses facts or factors to know something or to derive a conclusion.

Experientialism or experiential analysis

Experientialism is experiential knowledge or knowledge derived from experience. The term was first propagated by Lakoff and Johnson in 1980. Experientialism is experiential knowledge, so it is possible to suggest that we actively analyze our experiences to derive knowledge and understanding from these experiences. You know from your experience that a plane accelerates on the runway before takeoff, or that diving in the rain can give you the chills. You know from experience that your dog will greet you enthusiastically when you get home, but your wife may not be overly excited. This is experiential knowledge. Experiential knowledge is important for understanding the psychology of knowledge, as human experiences are at the core of many psychological theories, including psychoanalysis.

Literalism or literal analysis

Knowledge is often obtained from an obvious source: books. I call this literalism or literal analysis, as it may not be related to critical or literary analysis, but to a literal analysis of what you have read or understood. Books, articles, Internet sources, and the written word help us gain meaningful knowledge about the world. This is what we can describe as literary or literal analysis, and the process of acquiring knowledge is literalism. Either we are critical of what we read or we accept what we read. Either way, we learn and gain knowledge from all reading sources and this is an important method of acquiring knowledge. When you systematically study the Psychology of Human Knowledge, you must consider how the individual acquired knowledge from books, articles, the Internet, or other sources. The knowledge acquired during adolescence or young adulthood is very significant, as it will shape the mind and create or influence thought. Therefore, when studying the mind of a terrorist, try to understand what reading sources may have influenced him. Some people are more influenced by what they read than by what they experience or hear. The power of the book or the Internet is immense. Reading creates beliefs, and there may not be a rational explanation for why certain people believe certain things, although reading greatly influences thinking.

Innatism or internal analysis

This type of knowledge has to do with internal knowledge or occurs due to internal processing of knowledge that is already embedded in us. Plato, the Greek philosophers, other ancient philosophers and prophets have repeatedly emphasized the knowledge of the soul. Internal analysis is about the knowledge that already exists within us or the knowledge that we are born with. Call it Jung’s collective unconscious or call it the soul, internal analysis is about gaining access to knowledge embedded deep within us. So this is innate knowledge or wisdom and one of the most important types of knowledge that could be considered a priori or not acquired through observation or experience. To understand innate knowledge, psychologists must study the wisdom and soul knowledge of prodigies. Some prodigies are born with a powerful soul or innate knowledge and show their remarkable abilities only a few years after birth. The study of the talents and the wisdom of prodigies would provide important insights into the knowledge of the soul of human beings. Fostering this knowledge would be essential to develop talents in children and wisdom in adults.

I will now turn to the factors of knowledge. What are the factors that affect human knowledge? Theories of knowledge show how knowledge is acquired, but the factors help us to identify the mechanisms or processes responsible for human knowledge. Knowledge has to do with habit, perhaps your reading or writing habits that will help you develop knowledge, about beliefs and attitudes that you developed in childhood, about your subjective understanding of the world, and is largely associated with your interests and inclinations to know the world. world in a particular way. If you are a psychologist, trying to understand the knowledge process in human beings, how would you go about it? Start with a questionnaire that will determine the five types of knowledge mentioned above. Determine what type of knowledge has strongly affected the topic and draw your conclusions as to what type of knowledge analysis would best describe the individual’s personality. It is important to develop a model for the analysis of knowledge in Psychology considering the five theories that I have described above.

I’m done for now. We will move on to the next chapter.