Ways of Knowing

by
Twila L. Preston, Ph.D.

© January 7, 2007

From whence this springs:

1. I most recently started thinking about these ideas after Reverand Knapp’s sermon a month or so ago.

2. My *first love* (I was in 8th grade) and I shared many letters. I tried to convince him of the veracity of Christianity, he attempted to broaden my horizons, but primarily suggested I “try to understand” him rather than judge.

3. When I was in High School, “Up with People” was touring, and while they did NOT come to my town of 2,700 in South Dakota, we did sing some of the music in our high school choir. One of the songs I remember said this, “there are many roads to go, and they go by many ways, they don’t all go the same way, but they get there just the same, and I have a feeling, that we’ll meet someday, where the road comes together, up the way.” These were profound words to a farm girl.

4. When I first started teaching at U of Kansas, I was teaching Introduction to Psychology. Psychology is a “behavioral science” but a science nonetheless.

A. Remember what the Kansas state board of education has done over the last decade . .. They proclaimed that evolution could NOT be taught in Kansas public schools.

B. Many of the students who were in my classes came from those counties in Kansas outside of Lawrence, or rural Kansas.

C. Many were highly suspect of Psychology, as I know many people continue to be.

(Few things stop social conversation faster than folks finding out I am a psychologist.)

5. In my work, as a psychologist, understanding has remained a theme.

What does “knowing” mean?

Knowing–
Possessing knowledge, information or understanding.

Showing good judgement.

Having or showing a clever awareness and resourcefulness in practical matters.

How do we come “to know” something?

1. How does an infant know something?

A. My son turning toward his father’s voice, at one day old.

B. Infants “mouth” things

C. Tactile, smell, taste, sight, hearing (however)

1) there are limitations to our senses
2) seeing is not always believing,
3) tasting doesn’t tell us enough
4) our senses can fool us

[Therefore, we have created a way to make it less likely that we will be fooled by our senses. ]

Science:
A. The observation, identification, description, experimental investigation, and theoretical exploration of phenomena.

–Research report
1. Review of prior work
2. Questions or hypotheses
3. What is the sample
4. How measure,
5. Results found from current sample and measurement
6. Compare that to previous

B. Advantages of science as a way of knowing

1. Well defined.
2. Sample.
3. Measurement.
4. Replicable
5. We know what we don’t know
6. Remember that science disproves, but does not “prove.”

C. Limitations of science as a way of knowing.

1. If it isn’t observable or measurable in some way, it isn’t “science.”
– intelligence design can be taught (in my opinion) but it isn’t science.
2. At one time we didn’t observe the world as “round” (but that) doesn’t mean it wasn’t round.
3. Just because we are not able to measure or observe something, doesn’t mean it does not exist.

So how do we understand, or know, that which isn’t “measureable”?

What do we do when “reason” doesn’t meet the need, when science doesn’t address our experiences?

For example:
1) what is the level of “knowing” when you are touched deeply by a piece of music

2) what is the level of “knowing” when you “see” a painting that makes your heart soar?

3) what is the level of knowing when you read a poem that brings tears to your eyes and your heart breaks with the understanding of the poet.

4) what is the level of knowing when you embrace someone you love?

Many people sitting in my office, in intense emotional pain, have “irrational” thoughts, but telling them “your thoughts are irrational” does not stop their pain!

Our attempts to understand, to know, to explain, in my opinion, is the driving source beneath each of the following, all of which are ways of knowing: [Each has advantages and limitations]

Myth:
A. stories that a particular culture believes to be true and that often use supernatural events or characters to explain the nature of the universe and humanity.
B. Do we hold myths to the standards of science & reason?
C. Why or why not?

Story-telling
A. “Every rock that he throws, is one less you have to throw.”
B. “The opinions expressed by the husband of this house, are not necessarily those of the management.”

Art:
Painting–Georgia O’Keef, Rueben’s, the mural on the side of Francis’ canteen

Sculpture–Michaelangelo’s David

Weaving–

Movies–Borat

Literature–Novels, poetry, essays, history, journals

Music

Touch–
Besel Vander Kolk–September 11th
massage

Spiritual belief systems . . . . religion

So stop, think, and consider your life:

What do you know?

How do you know it?

Does science speak to what you know?

Are you holding strongly to any ideas which the preponderance of science argues against?

Are you holding strongly to any ideas that are not “well-reasoned”?

I would encourage you to NOT worship at the altar of science

Recognize science for what it is

but also recognize what it is NOT

There are Many ways of knowing, all have their advantages and disadvantages.

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