There are eight Ways of Knowing :

1.Language

2.Sense Perception

3.Emotion

4.Reason

5.Imagination

6.Faith

7.Intuition

8.Memory

We perceive the world through our 5 We perceive the world through our 5 senses.senses.

Our 5 senses are:Our 5 senses are:

• SightSight• HearingHearing• TouchTouch• SmellSmell• TasteTaste

Sense Perception Sense Perception

Sense perception is understanding gained Sense perception is understanding gained through the use of one of the senses such through the use of one of the senses such as sight, taste, touch or hearing. (noun) as sight, taste, touch or hearing. (noun) An example of sense perception is An example of sense perception is someone knowing what song is playing someone knowing what song is playing on the radio after hearing it.on the radio after hearing it.An example of sense perception is An example of sense perception is someone knowing what fruit they're someone knowing what fruit they're eating after tasting it.eating after tasting it.

Plato’s Cave

The Allegory of the CaveBy Plato

Written about 360 B.C.E

from the beginning of Book VII of his treatise  The Republic

Plato's point: the general terms of our language are not

"names" of the physical objects that we can see.

They are actually names of things that we cannot see,

things that we can only grasp with the mind.

Empiricism

• "All knowledge is gained from experiences.”

• “Nothing can be known to exist except through experiences.”

Empiricism argues that sense perception is one of the main

sources of our knowledge of the world.

Scientists conduct empirical experiments (observed experiments) to gain knowledge of our universe and

ourselves.

Problems associated with sense perception

Humans are very visual animals...we use our sense of sight to interpret much of the

world around us.

What we see is called "light."

However, what we see is really only a small part of the entire "electromagnetic spectrum."

Humans can see only the wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation between about 380 and 760 nanometers...this is light.

Electromagnetic Spectrum

                                                                             

Potentilla anserina

Potentilla anserina

Limitations of our senses

When an observer views a two-dimensional picture on paper, he

often interprets it as a three-dimensional figure.

For example, most people, after viewing the picture, would agree

that it was a box.

Not many would view it as two squares connected with diagonal

lines. However, this interpretations is just as valid as the three-dimensional interpretation.

Moving Pictures

PARIS IN THE

THE SPRING

The paomnnehil pweor of the hmuan mnid

• Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are,

• the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae.

• The rset can be a total mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm.

• Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by byistlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.

• Pertty amzanig huh?

• LOOK AT THE FOLLOWING WORDS AND SAY THE COLOR NOT THE WORD.

YELLOW

BLUE

ORANGE

LEFT-RIGHT CONFLICT

• YOUR RIGHT BRAIN TRIES TO SAY THE COLOUR

• YOUR LEFT BRAIN INSISTS ON READING THE WORD.

Perspective 1 Perspective 1

We have plenty of instances where our senses are “wrong”, such as things that “aren’t there”, “mirages” or “illusions”.

So can we rely on our senses?

Perspective 1 (cont.)Perspective 1 (cont.)

Yes we can strongly rely on our senses.

To propose that something is an “illusion” or “mirage” presumes that we know its true nature is different.

Look at all that scientists have achieved using their senses…

Perspective 2Perspective 2

Our sense perception can be very Our sense perception can be very misleading.misleading.

When people looked at the horizon When people looked at the horizon and determined the world was FLAT, and determined the world was FLAT, that was an observation error based that was an observation error based upon perception . . . not too reliable!upon perception . . . not too reliable!

Perspective 2 continuedPerspective 2 continued In his experiment, Dr. Wells’ showed In his experiment, Dr. Wells’ showed

participants a shaky video of a crime participants a shaky video of a crime that was staged. Next, he would show that was staged. Next, he would show participants a line up of people that participants a line up of people that looked similar to that of the man in looked similar to that of the man in the video, however the man in the the video, however the man in the video was not in the line up. The data video was not in the line up. The data Wells collected shows that participants Wells collected shows that participants would choose the man that looked would choose the man that looked most similar to that of the man in the most similar to that of the man in the video, even though he wasn’t present. video, even though he wasn’t present.

Perspective 2 continuedPerspective 2 continued

Our expectations shape our sense perception.Our expectations shape our sense perception. There was an experiment done on human scent There was an experiment done on human scent

where two groups of people were given an where two groups of people were given an acidic scent. One group was told that it was a acidic scent. One group was told that it was a bodily fluid and the other was told that it was a bodily fluid and the other was told that it was a type of food. The food group said that the scent type of food. The food group said that the scent was very pleasant, and the bodily fluid group was very pleasant, and the bodily fluid group said that the scent was horrible. said that the scent was horrible.