Do you tend to follow your life more from Descartes' (French pronunciation Day-cart) Rationalist view that things gathered from your senses aren't the entire truth, or from John Locke's Empirical view that the senses give us all of the information we need? Why? How?
"I am, I exist, that is certain." Rene Descartes
"For since the mind, in all its thoughts and reasonings, hath no other immediate objects but its own ideas, it is evident that our knowledge is only conversant about them."
-- John Locke
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
34 comments:
Comment before class.........For the thoughts on my reading, I feel that wisdom comes from knowledge. The more we know as individual's the more wise we become. Think about it.......as children we had little knowledge for our own lives and as an adult we have learn from events that has taken place over the years; in order to make us wise and understand life. Wisdom comes from experience as well. The reading did clarify some parts; but I am not in a complete agreement with everything. Maybe the class teachings will help and I will be able to agree more with the knowledge and wisdom teaching.
I believe that knowledge is just like they say in the commentary. Knowledge is comprised of true judgements and wisdom about certain things. this reading confused me much more than last weeks.
I agree with Nicole about wisdom coming from experience. There is no way someone could claim to be wise about a matter that they have never encountered. Only someone with experience in that particular situation could say they are wise about it, whether the experience is hands on or research.
I feel knowledge and wisdom are two completely different identities. Wisdom is knowing how to use knowledge having alot of head knowledge doesn't do you much good if you do not know how to apply it.
Before reading the assignments I felt that it was going to be difficult to understand and translate the reading.
I think I agree more with Descartes and think that your senses are not always correct. For example when it is hot outside sometimes the roads will look wet when really it is not. I do not think that our senses gives us everything we need.
I agree with Troy that "Wisdom is knowing how to use knowledge". You can have the knowledge but still be stupid about things. Wisdom is knowing how to use your knowledge and be intelligent about it.
I agree with Troy. There are several people at work that talk about their school and how smart they are, but they do not seem to know how to use that knowledge.
The in class video of Plato helped with understanding who Plato was and what he done. Thanks =)
My uncle is the most knowledgable guy I know, but I would not say he is wise. He knows a lot of things, but he is kinda slow with normal daily life. Therefore, I really think knowledge is not the same as wisdom.
i enjoy the in-class discussions and activities a lot better than reading the book. it makes more sense when Shari explains things.
I think the phrase "I think therefore I am" is a cop out for not having an explanation for his existance. If you do not believe in the creation or God you probably will have a hard time wondering how you were put on this earth and why you exist.
I live my life for both....writing words down to point out a situation in my life is not done a regular basis; but I do it occationally. I am more of a thinker.......I like to sit down, think out the situation, and then act on it. I can relate to both Phylosophers to a certain extent.
I agree with Amy Wong......I enjoy the class discussions. When I am at home reading this long drawn out book to myself, I get so confused. But when I get to class and Shari starts discussion, I then can make what she said click and understand based on how she words the events. I feel, strongly, this book is hard to understand. If it wasn't for Shari discussing the chapters in class, I would not be able to get anything useful out of this class. Thanks Shari, great job!!!! =)
I agree with both Descartes and Locke. There are somethings I do feel are innate for us and other knowledge that comes from us processing our ideas.
I agree with Troy.....most of these readings so far seems like they can't explain really why they think the way they do, so a cop out of because "I think, therefore I am" Being "wise" and "knowledgable" are two different things, like being "street smart" and "book smart" many people are only one or the other, a very few seem to be both!
What is knowledge? Is it the same as wisdom? How about common sense? I had a guy I worked with who had a very high IQ. He joined the Peace Corps and taught Calculus in French. However, he was socially inept and had no common sense whatsoever. If you didn't know he was bright you may have thought he was mentally challenged. I think knowledge is a combination of Wisdom, learning and COmmon Sense. Wisdom is gained through experiences in life. Learning can help you prepare for these moments when you rely on wisdom to keep you safe. Common sense is the knowledge you gain through experiences that keep you out of situations whre you will need wisdom.
Troy, how would you prove that you exist? I have no idea how I would go about it. How can I prove that I am not sleeping and that evryhting is not a dream. Proving that my thoughts are real, I feel, is a good first step. My brain is what processes everything I perceive. It filters what I hear, see, smell, and feel. Can I trust these preceptions when I know for a fact that they can fool me?
I think saying that I think is a good start.
I've tried to make a list of everything I know for sure without too much greater success than Descartes...
Response to Nick.. I know I exist through my senses. My heart beats, my eyes see, my fingers feel and touch, I hear and smell my surroundings. Being conscious lets you know you exist. Coma patients know they exists through their senses. When their brains may not show much activity. Alzimer patients know they exists through sight and sound and usually cannot remember much if any. Thinking doesn't prove to me I exist seeing, touching, feeling lets me know I exist.
I would agree that knowledge and wisdom are two different things. Some people may not a lot about book stuff and things about their work, but then can barely function at a store or something easy like that. It is not always true, but it seems as though most people with a lot of book smarts do not have a lot of common sence. I also believe that knowledge and wisdom come from experience.
I also want to agree that your senses are not always right. There are times when as a mother I feel like something is wrong with my kids, and come to find out everything is ok. So I would not always trust my senses.
But Troy, how do you know that what you see is real? How do you know that you are not dreaming or wrong about what you see or hear? How do you discern between a car backfiring and a gun shot? I am just saying that your sense can be fooled. If they can be fooled once, why not twice. If twice why not more? How do you know that they are not wrong all the time?
When you are involved in solving problems, making decisions, or resolving conflicts, it is important to be a "critical thinker." This means that you are willing to fully analyze the situation. To do so you must use your five senses of seeing, hearing, touching, tasting and smelling. To say I think therefore I am is not good enough for me. There is much more to it which involves your senses and common sense. Again here we go relating wisdom and knowledge to common sense. Some have it some don't I watch magic and know it is an illusion I see it but do not believe it. I suppose those without common sense may have problems with relating the senses to what is real and what is not.
discussing wisdom and knowledge with my husband, he says that wisdom is something you gain for years of experience and knowledge is something you get from reading a book. You can get knowledge from years of experience, but being wise enough to know what reaction they will get. As far as what he knows for sure..he says he knows for sure how to drive a tractor, plant corn, grow, soil test... he says it always works so its right! He says there are those in lift that think and those in life that do...."Mike Long"
Dara, your husband has a fascinating way of viewing wisdom and knowledge. It is nice to read everyones views and thoughts...it gives the brain a new view of a situation.
I believe wisdom might come from knowledge but there is more factors involved.
Knowledge is what we have experienced direcly.
Wisdom comes from experience and knowledge from past generations in addition to the knowledge that we have learned.
A good point made earlier that just because you have the knowledge; you can still make unwise choices.
After reading previous weeks assignments, I am hoping that this assignment is easier to read to get a better understanding of what is being said.
knowledge and wisdom could be determined in two different ways. I believe that most of these items are learned. However, you have to be able to be determined to find the information.
I like Diana's comment on being able to see that there are more factors than just the obvious.
I think that wisdom and knowledge go hand in hand. If you have the wisdom to know how to use the knowledge you will succeed. An example would be someone who is knowledgeable on how to build houses but doesn't know have the wisdom to know how to sell them....they would not be very successful in selling their houses.
The exercise in class was very interesting because it made you see both sides of the fence. I learned that feeling can be one thing but might NOT be the same thing. Make sense???.......
I agree with Nicole about Plato. I did not know who he was and the video helped gain some knowledge about who he was.
This is just a test email to see if I get an email Icon
I think this blog is helpfully in understanding how everyone else thinks about the questions.
Post a Comment