Ways of Knowing


 

During the Theory of Knowledge course, students are to cover the four Ways of Knowing.  Those areas are language, reason, perception, and emotion.  Theses seemingly different ways, are unusually connected in almost every way.  No matter the discussion or project that the girls are working on, these particular Ways of Knowing come into play.  


 

  Language:

"Thought is not merely expressed in words; it comes into existence through them." -L. Vygotsky

Language is something that so completely surrounds us that we rarely think about it or are consciously aware of it.  We use it for a variety of different purposes and it is one of the main ways we acquire knowledge.  Through words and expressions develops problematic meaning.  Another problem with language is there are various forms and different cultures perceive language with different connotations.  A great deal of language is ambiguous and there is an element of interpretation built into all communication.  Whether or not there are some truths that lie beyond language is a matter of continuing debate. 

 

Reason:  

"The head is always fooled by the heart." -La Rochefoucauld

Reason is a significant way of knowing and is commonly used in the fields of Mathematics and Science. Reason can be used to uncover truth and validity so we do not make incorrect generalizations or false accusations. The three kinds of reasoning are deductive reasoning, inductive reasoning and informal reasoning. Reason can be overlapped with the other ways of knowing such as emotion. The amount of reason and emotion that should be used in making a moral decision is an example of a TOK topic that can be discussed, as well as the limitations of reason and its reliability.

 

Perception:

"You can't depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus." -Mark Twain

Perception is one of the four ways of knowing examined in the course. Along with language, emotion, and reason, perception helps one to understand and acquire knowledge in a unique way. In this course, students study how perception can negatively or positively alter one's knowledge.

 

Emotion:

"Nothing great is accomplished in the world without passion." -Georg Wilhlem Friedrich Heigel

Emotion is one of the four ways of knowing.  Emotions involve gut feelings and intuitions which are not reliable guides to truth.  When looking at moral issues everyone’s intuitions are different.  There is no right or wrong intuition, they just depend on the specific person.  Emotion is an important way of knowing, but it cannot stand alone.