Theme 1: Theory of knowledge and theory of science (after)

Zulfiya Tarazova

Theme 1: Theory of knowledge and theory of science. Reflections after first seminar

“Perception without conception is blind. Conception without perception is empty”

1. In the preface to the second edition of "Critique of Pure Reason" Kant says: "Thus far it has been assumed that all our cognition must conform to objects. On that presupposition, however, all our attempts to establish something about them a priori, by means of concepts through which our cognition would be expanded, have come to nothing. Let us, therefore, try to find out by experiment whether we shall not make better progress in the problems of metaphysics if we assume that objects must conform to our cognition." How are we to understand this?

Before I start explaining this statement, let’s consider the main concepts which were disclosed in the work of Kant. “The Critique of Pure Reason” is one of the most influential works in the history of philosophy. The key question of Critics is the study of cognitive capabilities of the mind and investigation of knowledge which obtained empirically. The philosopher highlights issues of space and time, the possibility of proof of the existence of God through reason and others. Kant begins his arguments with a specific classification of judgments. He identifies synthetic judgments/ analytic and a priori/ a posteriori. Synthetic judgments usually bring new knowledge, which doesn’t contain in the concept of their subject. Analytic judgments usually reveal the properties, which this subject inherits  in his concept himself and analytic judgments usually cannot be new knowledge. Example of analytical judgments: “all bodies are extension” (this thing is also a priory and it doesn’t need in verification).   Example of synthetic judgments: “some bodies are big”, this things is need in verification.

Kant assumes that in some sciences, for example logic, mathematics or physics, something must be cognized a priory. This cognition can relate to its objects in two ways:

1) determining the object  and its concept (this is theoretical cognition of reason)

2) making the object actual(this is practical cognition of reason)

It is important to understand that in both the pure part must be expounded all by itself. Kant wrote about isosceles triangle, that scientist, who had opened this theory before discovery create figure of triangle according to a priory concepts. This scientist had understood that he should have a priory knowledge.

According to Kant, great scientists comprehended that reason has insight only into what it itself produces according to its own design. If we want to get something a priory, we should consider it without conventional form. Some objects should be considered beyond space and time, without its own qualities and we will get a priory. This object will conform to our cognition.  That is why Kant wrote : «Let us, therefore, try to find out by experiment whether we shall not make better progress in the problems of metaphysics if we assume that objects must conform to our cognition».

The philosopher assumes that metaphysics is a wholly isolated speculative cognition of reason that elevates itself entirely above all instruction from experience. Metaphysics can plunge human into darkness, Kant writes. He considers that the natural and exact sciences are like  light in the tunnel of cognition. Logic, physics, mathematics are based on the experimental methods, they don’t constructed on the misunderstanding.

2. At the end of the discussion of the definition "Knowledge is perception", Socrates argues that we do not see and hear "with" the eyes and the ears, but "through" the eyes and the ears. How are we to understand this? And in what way is it correct to say that Soctrates argument is directed towards what we in modern terms call "empiricism"?

According to Plato's theory, the information that we receive through the senses, cannot be called "knowledge". For example, we can know that the sounds and the colors are not similar, although no one of body senses can perceive both of them. Human doesn’t have special organ for the perception of "being and nothingness, similarity and dissimilarity, identity and difference and etc." So we can say that only soul of man can understand their existence and consider the information which it receives from the outside world. Consequently, we cannot know things only through the senses, as through one senses we cannot know that things exist. Therefore, a person usually gains knowledge in the process of reasoning. Through this way man realizes his nature and tries to find truth. The perception (there is sensory organs) is the  tool in the acquisition of knowledge.

For example, if we consider pictures of the world of blind and normal person, we will understand that their representations of the world will be differ from each other. This is because blind person can’t see the world, but his hearing and touch senses function more active than organs of normal individuals. But It is not means that blind person doesn’t get a knowledge. He receives an information about the world from another resources and  gains knowledge in the process of his own reasoning.

Literature

1. I. Kant, Critique of Pure Reason, Cambridge University Press.

2. Plato, Theaeteus