Pages

03 February 2012

Knowledge and Intention

During the Epistemology class, while speaking about the characteristics of knowledge/knowing, I was elaborating the point of how knowledge is intentional. Having explained it to the best of my ability, I then tried to explain the aspect of subject-object movement. That in the process of knowing (cognition) the subject moves towards the object. The reverse hardly happens. Having proved my point, I enquired if the object could move towards the subject and would knowledge then be possible? To this one of the first year students added: could the object to subject movement mean revelation? I was really surprised at this intervention. And I did acknowledge that it could be very well called revelation!

However in the course of the discussion, we arrived at the conclusion that even if it is a divine revelation, knowledge of it is possible only when the subject is open or receptive (speaking philosophically, moving towards the object). I concluded with this statement: God reveals Himself to us all round the clock, in every place. Yet it is we who fail to 'see' Him. So for knowledge to be a reality, the subject has to be open and willing. If this requirement is not met, any amount of every other ingredient will amount to nothing.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...