Some History:
As people in the Western world, we live in a culture and background which has its roots in and been shaped by the Greco-Roman and Judean-Christian ways of thinking and living.
Plato and Aristotle were two great Greek philosophers. We are more influenced by Aristotle and St. Thomas Aquinas who Christianized Aristotle's thinking than by Plato. Plato believed that idea of a tree was more real than the tree itself. Aristotle and St. Thomas taught that the tree was real regardless of what a person thought.
Science has developed by leaps and bounds in the Western world in large part because we believe that objective reality lies outside of and is independent of the mind and therefore can be studied and analyzed. The tree is real regardless of what a person thinks. Subjective reality, which depends on a person’s perception, is inside the mind.
We know the truth through personal experience, reasoning and the testimony of reliable witnesses. We also know there is much more to know .
Without going into a multitude of details we can say that Objective Reality can be known through perception which begins with the five senses. Because a person can be mistaken in perceiving what is real, one needs to go through a process of categorizing, evaluating before expressing an opinion or judgment about what is known. When one’s subjective opinion and judgment conforms to Objective Reality and is verified by others then one can be certain that they know the truth or at least part of the truth.
As people in the Western world, we live in a culture and background which has its roots in and been shaped by the Greco-Roman and Judean-Christian ways of thinking and living.
Plato and Aristotle were two great Greek philosophers. We are more influenced by Aristotle and St. Thomas Aquinas who Christianized Aristotle's thinking than by Plato. Plato believed that idea of a tree was more real than the tree itself. Aristotle and St. Thomas taught that the tree was real regardless of what a person thought.
Science has developed by leaps and bounds in the Western world in large part because we believe that objective reality lies outside of and is independent of the mind and therefore can be studied and analyzed. The tree is real regardless of what a person thinks. Subjective reality, which depends on a person’s perception, is inside the mind.
We know the truth through personal experience, reasoning and the testimony of reliable witnesses. We also know there is much more to know .
Without going into a multitude of details we can say that Objective Reality can be known through perception which begins with the five senses. Because a person can be mistaken in perceiving what is real, one needs to go through a process of categorizing, evaluating before expressing an opinion or judgment about what is known. When one’s subjective opinion and judgment conforms to Objective Reality and is verified by others then one can be certain that they know the truth or at least part of the truth.
Children quickly learn from parents and others that “This is a dog” or “The stove is hot” or “That is an apple tree”, etc. Because we live in such vast universe with so much more to learn we can only know a limited amount at any one time. This does not mean that what we know is wrong but only limited. Orville and Wilbur Wright were the first to master the principles of flight. Compared to today’s airplanes their plane was primitive, not wrong but just elementary. Today we know we have much more to learn about our world and even ourselves.
Ways of Knowing:
A) We can know the truth in a variety of ways.
For instance once a new drug, e.g., aspirin goes through enough testing it can be declared safe for use
among all who have a specific need, e.g. headache relief.
2. Deduction is the process of going from the general to the particular. A simple example would be:
All humans die. Sam is a human. Therefore Sam will die.
3. Analogy, simile or metaphor is the process of going from something that is known to something that is
similar but unknown. We could say, “He runs like a cheetah” to express the speed of a person but, of
course, the person is not a cheetah.
B) A person does not have to experience everything first hand in order to know whether or not something is true.
A person can also know what is true through the testimony of experts or that of trustworthy witnesses. When
something is consistently verified by others, e.g., a particular medicine or a map, we come to trust that the
medicine will work or accept the map as accurate. We follow the advice of a parent or coach in order to learn
how to act in a particular situation.
C) The Bible is the result of testimony by reliable witnesses who have experienced the saving, life-giving,, action of
God or Jesus. (Lk 1:1-4 & 1 Cor 11:23)
A) We can know the truth in a variety of ways.
- From personal experience
- From common sense. There’s an outside door to my house. I know this even though at the moment I am in another room and don’t see it.
- Reasoning in one of three ways:
For instance once a new drug, e.g., aspirin goes through enough testing it can be declared safe for use
among all who have a specific need, e.g. headache relief.
2. Deduction is the process of going from the general to the particular. A simple example would be:
All humans die. Sam is a human. Therefore Sam will die.
3. Analogy, simile or metaphor is the process of going from something that is known to something that is
similar but unknown. We could say, “He runs like a cheetah” to express the speed of a person but, of
course, the person is not a cheetah.
- Symbols can convey multiple meanings: H2 O is the symbol for water which can be a solid, liquid or gas.
B) A person does not have to experience everything first hand in order to know whether or not something is true.
A person can also know what is true through the testimony of experts or that of trustworthy witnesses. When
something is consistently verified by others, e.g., a particular medicine or a map, we come to trust that the
medicine will work or accept the map as accurate. We follow the advice of a parent or coach in order to learn
how to act in a particular situation.
C) The Bible is the result of testimony by reliable witnesses who have experienced the saving, life-giving,, action of
God or Jesus. (Lk 1:1-4 & 1 Cor 11:23)
Certitude:
There are different degrees of being cetain.
There are different degrees of being cetain.
- Phsical certitude has to do with how material objects normally function. We generally trust that cars will fuction in a certain way.
- Moral certitude has to do with how people usually behave, for example, we trust drivers to stay on the correct side of the road.
- Metaphysical certitude has to do with that which exists beyond the physical such as love or courage. We cannot isolate “love” and see, weigh or measure it. We can witness its interaction among people.
Limits to human reasoning:
Some think that science will be able to solve all the problems that face the human family. But science itself understands there are certain limitations which it faces. Here are three examples:
Werner Heisenberg, a physicist, has articulated the Uncertainty Principle which means it is impossible to determine simultaneously both the position and velocity of an electron or any other particle with any great degree of accuracy. The use of energy to “observe” the particle changes either its position or velocity.
Neils Bohr stated the Principle of Complementarity It means that some items can be separately analyzed as having several contradictory properties. For example light can be studied as either as a wave or a stream of particles depending on the experimental framework - two apparently mutually exclusive properties.
Kurt Gödel stated the Principle of Incompleteness. In any one system of mathematics there are insoluble problems. Thus we have the decimal and binary systems and Euclidian and non-Euclidian geometry.
Improper production, data collection or statistical analysis can lead to error. Likewise emotions such as anger, peer pressure, the desire for immediate gratification or deception can prevent one from perceiving reality as it really is or reasoning properly and thus reaching false conclusions.
Some think that science will be able to solve all the problems that face the human family. But science itself understands there are certain limitations which it faces. Here are three examples:
Werner Heisenberg, a physicist, has articulated the Uncertainty Principle which means it is impossible to determine simultaneously both the position and velocity of an electron or any other particle with any great degree of accuracy. The use of energy to “observe” the particle changes either its position or velocity.
Neils Bohr stated the Principle of Complementarity It means that some items can be separately analyzed as having several contradictory properties. For example light can be studied as either as a wave or a stream of particles depending on the experimental framework - two apparently mutually exclusive properties.
Kurt Gödel stated the Principle of Incompleteness. In any one system of mathematics there are insoluble problems. Thus we have the decimal and binary systems and Euclidian and non-Euclidian geometry.
Improper production, data collection or statistical analysis can lead to error. Likewise emotions such as anger, peer pressure, the desire for immediate gratification or deception can prevent one from perceiving reality as it really is or reasoning properly and thus reaching false conclusions.
Structure of Knowing
The above is a fundamental introduction to how we reason. In recent years advances have been made in understanding how we think and reason and more complex and detailed explanations have been put forth. The reoccurring structure of human knowing developed by Fr. Bernard Lonergan is fourfold:
1) Being attentive to one’s experiences,
2) Critically reflecting on those experiences (either personal, communal or virtual) for understanding,
3) Making a reasoned or reasonable judgment (something is or is not) , and
4) Deciding to act responsibly.
Thus one needs to be attentive to one’s experiences, reflective about them, deliberative in drawing conclusions and responsible in deciding how to act.
Paradigm Shift
A paradigm is a framework or a perspective which enables a person to understand things differently and then to act accordingly. For instance
The shift from “Erosion to Floods” in understanding the geology of Eastern Washington and from “Mechanical to Digital" in the building of watches is called a Paradigm Shift. Thomas Kuhn presented his notion of a paradigm shift in his influential book The Structure of Scientific Revolutions (1962).
The above is a fundamental introduction to how we reason. In recent years advances have been made in understanding how we think and reason and more complex and detailed explanations have been put forth. The reoccurring structure of human knowing developed by Fr. Bernard Lonergan is fourfold:
1) Being attentive to one’s experiences,
2) Critically reflecting on those experiences (either personal, communal or virtual) for understanding,
3) Making a reasoned or reasonable judgment (something is or is not) , and
4) Deciding to act responsibly.
Thus one needs to be attentive to one’s experiences, reflective about them, deliberative in drawing conclusions and responsible in deciding how to act.
Paradigm Shift
A paradigm is a framework or a perspective which enables a person to understand things differently and then to act accordingly. For instance
- Harlan Bretz proposed the idea that a great flood shaped the geology of Eastern Washington. His theory was not well received as most geologist felt that erosion shaped its geology.
- The Swiss were masters of making clocks and watches which used wheels and gears. They were not in the forefront of producing digital watches and clocks.
- The Second Vatican Council introduced a Paradigm Shift in the Catholic Church.
The shift from “Erosion to Floods” in understanding the geology of Eastern Washington and from “Mechanical to Digital" in the building of watches is called a Paradigm Shift. Thomas Kuhn presented his notion of a paradigm shift in his influential book The Structure of Scientific Revolutions (1962).
The Catholic Church's Perspective:
Reason can be thought of as a ladder leading to a high diving board. All questions are worth asking. The use of reason provides some basis or rationale for what one ultimately chooses to believe but at some point one must make a “leap of faith”. This is because God’s invitation to love always remains a free choice.
The Catholic Church cherishes and promotes disciplined reasoning. Various scientific methods, e.g., archeology and textual criticism, for instance, have helped the Church better understand both its own history and the Biblical message. The sciences of sociology and psychology have helped the Church understand how men and women grow and develop. All of this and more has been very helpful to the Church in carrying on its mission of sharing the Good News of God’s love with people today.
Reason can be thought of as a ladder leading to a high diving board. All questions are worth asking. The use of reason provides some basis or rationale for what one ultimately chooses to believe but at some point one must make a “leap of faith”. This is because God’s invitation to love always remains a free choice.
The Catholic Church cherishes and promotes disciplined reasoning. Various scientific methods, e.g., archeology and textual criticism, for instance, have helped the Church better understand both its own history and the Biblical message. The sciences of sociology and psychology have helped the Church understand how men and women grow and develop. All of this and more has been very helpful to the Church in carrying on its mission of sharing the Good News of God’s love with people today.