It is also because the most intimate knowing of the Divine transcends duality. Your email address will not be published. . And I just hope—I just hope that Recy Taylor died knowing that her truth, like the truth of so many other women who were tormented … John tells the believers that they already know the truth! Truth is a statement, which never changes and does not depend on people’s feelings. They take this question atface value: there are truths, and the question to be answered concernst… The nature of the Light-bringing Spirit is described in the book of John this way: “The wind blows where it wills, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know whence it comes or whither it goes; so it is with everyone who was born of the Spirit.”. is not only an exhilarating experience, but awe inducing as well. It makes sense that Rationalism is the primary approach of a branch of philosophy called "Metaphysics.".                            A = Authority Jesus claimed to be the only way, the only truth, the only life and the only path to God (John 14:6).                           E = Empiricism If an idea or action works and bears fruit . My friend said to the chipmunk, ‘Don’t be afraid. First, the idea that faith and truth (i.e., fact) are somehow divorced and reside in two different realms is an idea that we got from the Enlightenment and is not shared by most of human history. So it is essential that we let the Creator speak, establishing His Truth according to His infinite wisdom and ways; instead of finite beings trying to wrap God's Omniscience around their narrow views — the tail should never wag the Dog. Therefore, since I am doubting, I must exist to be engaged in the activity of questioning my existence. Life's ever-appearing problems. These theories all attempt to directly answer the naturequestion: what is the nature of truth? Scientific publications are backed by references (Authority) at the end of each research study to buttress research claims. The objects of such discussions — based on cognitive reasoning — pertain to the production of good and the avoidance of evil, and to how good and evil are defined. P = Pragmatism: This approach relies upon results, typically time tested results. In the history of science and philosophy, five approaches for making claims to knowing truth have weathered the test of time. 3. In our real life, we always talk about truth. How many of these lenses do you utilize? E = Empiricism:    This Epistemological avenue uses the "head-logic" of rationalism and adds evidence that can be systematically verified via sensory input. The latter type of question is known as a normative issue. Understanding has a deeper level than knowing. . "Falsity" is also an arbitrary constant, which can be represented as "F" or "0". Thus, the knowing extends beyond tactile sensation. In Wilber’s contentions we see an echo in a new dimension of the value of a Liberal Arts education which was long-ago taught by Plato, one of Socrates’ disciples at the Academy in Athens. One way to understand compassion or love is that this action is in our heart and constitutes our soul’s response to Light. I REPAIR My Thinking about TRUTH  Much of the contemporary literature on truth takes as its startingpoint some ideas which were prominent in the early part of the 20thcentury. unique reference book that will help E = Empiricism:    This Epistemological avenue uses the "head-logic" of rationalism and adds evidence that can be systematically verified via sensory input. This is because people want to ensure that they can know the best for their own life. by Lansley, Cliff, Lansley, Cliff (ISBN: 9781527206342) from Amazon's Book Store. Then he hopped down and scampered over to the edge of the patio to masticate his mouth full of seeds. The inscription on the Temple of Apollo stated, ‘Know Thyself.’ The Pythian Priestess or Oracle at Delphi was believed to speak only the truth. The word "empirical" is commonly used interchangeably with the word "observable." He’s just a spectator. The essence of how efficaciously to transform ourselves from new initiates of the Spiritual Pathway into a full-fledged truth seekers, truth lovers and truth doers is to recognize that only some truths are objective, dry, distant and impersonal. But Ken Wilber said no. This remains to this day the justification for Liberal Arts studies. Triangulating multiple methods is more powerful than mere testimonial — the most common pragmatic persuasion. This means that to experience at-one-ment with the Divine requires suppressing the egoself. They are the model theory of truth and the proof theory of truth. When illumination and enlightenment descend upon us they often come — as the American poet Carl Sandburg put it — like fog, ‘on little cat feet’. The story of Saint Paul’s illumination recorded in the Book of Acts was that he got on his horse full of delusions, was hit with a lightning bolt of illumination and knocked off his horse aware of nearly every heavenly secret there was to know. or truthful means. Such visual experiences delight the eyes and satisfy the soul. We explore the nature of truth, the different types of truth, and the different types of entities who report truth to better understand the nature of information. What are the truths we can experience when we are participating in each of these various modes of consciousness? Because the scientific method uses sensory evidence that either proves or disproves a given hypothesis, this method also implies a particular nature of truth. But that’s not the way it usually works. This is called the "empirical assumption." If this sounds like the scientific method . The Latin word "Episteme" means Knowledge or Knowing; thus, Epistemology is Knowledge-ology or the study of Knowing. Major theories of truth include those based on correspondence, coherence, truth conditions, and deflationism. But there are unexplainable moments when the patient’s defenses slip or relax and the patient’s conscious mind in a mysterious flash obtains access to those buried, deeply repressed memories. This method maintains: That which God reveals is True; Revelations from God establish Truth. (2) reflections on normative issues such as morality; I  =   I shouldn't expect my opinions to be worth much if they aren't substantiated. Of course, "I" does not represent an epistemological method; instead, the letter "I" helps you remember that making convincing knowledge claims is NOT adequately done through unsubstantiated opinions coming from Me, Myself, and . Here are more reasons to buy . The areas where we've published for the last decade on other sites are primarily in the area of suppressed science including the work of Royal Raymond Rife, Nikola Tesla, Wilhelm Reich, Gaston Naessens and other people who should have more press than they've had. When opinions are buttressed by these approaches for advancing evidence, then assertions carry weight — and are more readily received by intelligent observers. Wilber opens his book with a quote from the American philosopher, psychologist and psychical studies scholar, William James, who declared: “Our normal waking consciousness is but one special type of consciousness, while all about it parted from it by the filmiest screens there lie potential forms of consciousness entirely different… No account of the universe in its totality can be final which leaves these other forms of consciousness quite disregarded.”. and more specifically, "What is the nature of truth?" ‘Know’ in the King James Bible meant the kind of knowing that results not only from the sexual act — but from sustained intimacy — as a result of looking lovingly into each other’s eyes, eyes that are the window of the soul and learning — therefore knowing — the naked essence, character, soul and being of one’s lover. Becoming a student of one’s own unconscious mind and its unconsciously generated dreams is an additional way to heal as well as broaden one’s depth of self-knowledge. The problem with most "testimonials" is with the experience of a product that supposedly worked: an experience that lacks controls sufficient to isolate the definitive source of fruitful results. Everyone has a "right" to their opinion, but not everyone's opinion will be . While the strange behavior of your friend may lead you to think s/he is lying to you it may just … Yet it's difficult to define because as soon as you think you have it pinned down, some case or counterexample immediately shows … . Readers who want to learn the truth will find here what they want to know about these ideas. We move on now to a Fine Arts sense of the aesthetic. Accordingly, each of the non-cognitive aspects of our consciousness is also a pathway to its own type of truth. So when citing "Revelation" as a method for making truth claims, such assertions are strengthened through appeals to logic (Rationalism), orderly observation and experiment (Empiricism), fruitful experience (Pragmatism), and the words of wise men and women (Authority). If these ancient Greek subjective, if not obviously mystical, approaches to Truth finding have any present validity, to whom can we turn for contemporary guidance on these matters? The more lenses through which we are able to view aspects of our existence — including our internal selves — the better and more comprehensive information we will be able to access. The patient’s defenses tend to keep the door between the conscious and unconscious mind tightly shut, thus barring access by the patient’s conscious mind to his painful memories. Pragmatic experience may lead to "knowledge" of both good and evil. . The saying "live and learn" is a pragmatic proverb — "trial and error" is a pragmatic process. These include in descending order of empirically cognitive reliance: (1) applied psychology, psychotherapy and psychoanalysis; work! nic backgrounds in classes, which are also their orientation groups. This approach assumes: That which is logical and consistent is true. . But normal, healthy minded people who have never read philosophy tend more often to make heart-based moral choices. Because thousands of certified crazy people make claims of divine "revelation," within this epistemology, much controversy surrounds associated assertions of "knowing." 2. R = Rationalism:    This method of making claims to truth relies heavily upon the "head." If truth has meaning anymore, what is it? 4. It is noteworthy that this definition does not highlight thebasic correspondence intuition. No one scheme of classification gains universal support. A similar metaphor could have been lenses — from microscopes to telescopes — each lens exposes us to a different reality. unless "I Am!" A = Authority:    Appeal to authority is an oft used method to support claims of "knowing," to prove points: What experts say is true — observations of wise men and women establish truth. This approach assumes: That which is logical and consistent is true. Descartes began his renowned reasoning with a systematic doubting of everything: doubting the world that surrounded him and even doubting the existence of his own body. Some adopt the Golden Rule which holds: do unto others what you would wish they would do unto you. Another manifestation of Light is compassion or love which expresses itself through us. The pragmatist maintains: That which "bears fruit" & "works" is true. it is of value; If an idea or action is logical and reasonable . This approach maintains: That which I can prove to my senses is true. A response is joy and also compassion. We now transcend aesthetics and the five senses and consider another way of knowing. Any assertion originating from any book, to include the Bible, may have value based upon the weight of its Empirical, Rational, or Pragmatic merits! Whether one is a creator within the realm of the Fine Arts or an aesthetically sensitive appreciator, both worship Beauty. . Epistemology, the philosophical study of the nature, origin, and limits of human knowledge.The term is derived from the Greek epistēmē (“knowledge”) and logos (“reason”), and accordingly the field is sometimes referred to as the theory of knowledge. There is truth in this kind of knowing. The gifts which come to us as we walk dedicatedly along the spiritual path are not gained by conquest, but through surrender. A = Authority:    Appeal to authority is an oft used method to support claims of "knowing," to prove points: What experts say is true — observations of wise men and women establish truth. As we find authorities that agree with our views, we can stick out a tongue and taunt: "My authority is smarter than yours." This approach to learning is based on the idea that learners respond to stimuli in their environment. Its author is Ken Wilber. If statements coming from any source are wise and insightful then . In these circumstances measurements are applicable to science, engineering, accounting and the like. Accordingly, the object of walking the pathway of enlightenment is not to seize, capture and conquer either a piece of God or a chunk of so-called esoteric knowledge related to the nature of God. The truth of the heart is compassion, loving service to others, also intimacy, tenderness and adoration. Just then about seven or eight of the birds who had already eaten their fill landed on the fence at the edge of the patio chirping away as they looked down at my friend. Secondly, the notion that "you can't know truth about matters pertaining to God" is itself a self-defeating notion. Now come and eat your seeds.’ The chipmunk trotted over to my friend, rubbed his nose against his hand, then hopped up on my friend’s wrist and ate contentedly out of his hand. While the scientific method bases its claims in controlled, Such pragmatic proofs are paraded daily on TV infomercials that pitch products via testimonials of how they . The second criterion is correspondence, that is how well does the verbal or written description correspond to the external reality about which it is asserting truth claims. This is not only because there may not be any anthropomorphic bones in the body of the Divine. Scripture is an oft-cited source of Revelation; but there are multiple versions of "scripture" allegedly inspired by different deities. In my opinion a book first published thirty years ago was quite seminal in the expansion of our comprehension of how truth beyond empirically cognitive knowing is perceived. In my view the terms “relative”, “objective”, “universal” are adjectives that describe the other theories of … Buy Getting to the Truth: A practical, scientific approach to behaviour analysis for professionals: 1 (Behaviour Analysis and Investigative Interviewing) Gttt ed. The problem with most "testimonials" is with the experience of a product that, Sometimes, what "works" is the mere suggestion that a product should work: even a salt pill can cure a headache if the pill-taker. Constructivism is a view in the philosophy of science which maintains that scientific knowledge is constructed by the scientific community, who seek to measure and construct models of the natural world. All of these levels of consciousness, Wilber asserted, are components of a total spectrum similar to the spectrum of radiation ranging from light rays to x-rays. Changing Your Stripes. Society by its standards and approaches feeds this misconception. Rather, a valued prize of dedicated walking along the spiritual pathway can be the acquisition of a sense that at the core of our being we are connected to the Divine Spirit and that incomprehensible, unknowable Spirit lives and somehow expresses itself within, through, between and among us. (Changing Your Stripes Manual, p. 8-5), What is Truth? R = Revelation:   Whether one believes in the existence of a Higher Power, Creator, or God, the epistemology of Revelation is one that is used in every corner and culture of the world. Truth, like knowledge, is surprisingly difficult to define.We seem to rely on it almost every moment of every day and it's very "close" to us. . This method maintains: That which God reveals is True; Revelations from God establish Truth. Under such circumstances it is easy for us to tend to act as if our purpose is to locate and possess spiritual treasure in order to haul it home with us — much in the spirit of a big game hunter. Bruner (1986): different ways of knowing ‘Paradigmatic mode of thought’ …draws on reasoned analysis, logical proof, and empirical observation - used to explain ‘cause and effect’, to predict and control reality, and to create unambiguous objective ‘truth’ that can be proven or disproved. The Epistemology of Rationalism looks for logical consistency. When you buy Changing Your Stripes, Five 5 Approaches for Making Truth-Claims: . And even when people agree on the same Source of Revelation, differing interpretations of text result in dead-end arguments — Rationalism in its primitive form. There are numerous different ways to approach the task of apologetics and it is not always easy to classify different approaches. In a nutshell, I REPAIR My Thinking about TRUTH is described this way: 1. especially the existence of the physical world around him, he concluded:  1. 5. Are you a lover of Truth? Appeal to authority is commonly used to break logjams of controversy. Your truth is the essence of your spiritual nature — that is, once the mental facade has been transformed, the truth gives way to the light of your being. Truth is very important to us. Thus into the fray of conceptual controversy enters Aristotle and Einstein as their views support ours. Yet it's difficult to define because as soon as you think you have it pinned down, some case or counterexample immediately shows deficiencies. Pragmatically speaking, negative ads stick in the minds of the public better than the positive ads. ‘Knowing’ a lover in the King James Bible sense of that word was not a prudish avoidance of the term sexual intercourse or shorter, more earthy versions of the verb to copulate. Because the scientific method uses more than one epistemological approach, it is able make more convincing claims to "knowing." Breaking down the component parts of the acronym R. E. P. A. I. R., we start with the letter "I". The quality of this connection and oneness of being transcends orgasm. I = I shouldn't expect my opinions to be worth much . The role of the learning facilitator, therefore, is to provide relevant and useful stimuli so that the learner responds to and gains the required knowledge or experience.The behaviourist approach to learning centres around the belief that appropriate behaviour can be taught through constant repetition of a task combined with feedback from the facilitator. This short focus on the Fine Arts has brought us to the aesthetic/spiritual interface. Ask any accomplished fine arts painter and he or she will tell you that this is almost universally the case. | Home | Ask Dr Matt | Call Dr Matt | Meet Dr Matt | Quotes | The Book | Answer Archive |, Talk to Dr Matt! Truth and Correspondence The correspondence view of truth, held by the vast majority of philosophers and theologians throughout history, holds that any declarative statement is true if and only if it corresponds to or agrees with factual reality, with the way things are. The truth of noncontingent propositions comes about, they say – not through their correctly describing the way the world is – but as a matter of the definitions of terms occurring in the sentences expressing those propositions. Though some Big-Bang Believers try to hide behind scientific rhetoric, their belief in Big Bang beginnings is parallel to belief in God — at least parallel in prove-ability. The second unit is about different approaches to truth, where students get in touch with the basic scope of the liberal arts and the different ways of knowing. At the beginning of our discourse we were focusing on the nature and process of empirically cognitive knowing. Learn how your comment data is processed. When we understand the benefits and range of factors—the science and the impact on our health, mind, and creativity—this growing understanding should compel us to act, whereas simply knowing does not. According to the constructivist, natural science therefore consists of mental constructs that aim to explain sensory experience and measurements. Negative political campaign ads often yield pragmatic results. As long as you stay within the realm of rationalism, you may be frustrated in attempts to prove your own existence to others by logic alone. The chipmunk headed straight for the hand holding the seeds then stopped dead in its tracks as he noticed my presence. What happens instead is that Truth and Beauty lights a fire in our soul which stirs our heart to awaken and respond. According to constructivists, the world is … ‘Knowing’ is the expertise and skill acquired by an individual from his experiences and education while ‘understanding’ is a psychological process that requires an individual to think and use concepts to deal with a person, object, message, or situation. . Neither ‘willing’ that door to open or devising cognitively based commands to the patient to unlock that door himself are at all effective in relaxing the patient’s defenses. The emerging international biomedical law tends to recognise the right not to know one’s genetic status. The truth of all these pathways combined and integrated is wisdom which refuses to dwell solely in a modality that always distinguishes self from other, but which instead more often perceives Self as connected to Other. Pragmatism plays a part in scientific approaches.                           R = Revelation. The pragmatist maintains: That which "bears fruit" & "works" is true. . But being true to oneself — by the very nature of the undertaking — is wholly subjective: oneself evaluating oneself. But even if a book is not deemed "Revelation from God," that book is still at very least a book written by someone, if not God. One solid sock in the noggin provides pragmatic proof of both your existence and the reality of the guy with the black eye. it is! There are many different ways of knowing, but we will only discuss a few of them. What replaces the ego is a silent, centered, patient receptivity. The acronym REPAIR helps us remember 5 ways of making truth claims, with each epistemological avenue having an associated implication of the "nature of truth." So tactics can "work" but the pragmatic fruits are NOT necessarily evidence of truthful ends . Lovers’ love and loving the Divine aside for a moment, there is also a wide variety of uplifting aesthetic experiences available to us. So the burning question is this: What evidence exists that lends credence to a claim of knowledge — a claim to truth? Sometimes, what "works" is the mere suggestion that a product should work: even a salt pill can cure a headache if the pill-taker believes that the pill will work. We can also refer to these experiences as modalities of consciousness. Through such openings — as truth is revealed to the patient — emotional healing takes place. There are many different ways of knowing, but we will only discuss a few of them. . These first two criteria are regarded as sufficient for the evaluation of propositions the subject matter of which is speculative or non-physical. In courts of law, authority is invoked via "expert witnesses," establishing greater credibility to certain claims in the mind of a judge and jury. . Such pragmatic proofs are paraded daily on TV infomercials that pitch products via testimonials of how they . This may seem like an odd question at first because we so rarely think about the possibility that there may be more than one type of truth out there, but there are indeed different categories of truth which need to be kept in mind. . and Knowing Sharan B. Merriam, Young Sek Kim The elder’s opinion is truth. This epistemological avenue basically boils down to the elementary playground scoff: "My dad is bigger than your dad!" Again the Empirical Approach skipped the philosophical questions as to whether the physical world is really THERE, and simply accepts the assumption that it IS THERE. . Two possible ways of classifying common approaches are: a) Depending on the approach to knowing truth about God (i.e. Socrates, a visitor to the Temple of Apollo, as quoted in Plato’s Apology, advised a similar thing: ‘The unexamined life is not worth living’ or words to that effect. Only when the ego is in the inactive mode does the Light began to reveal itself. that reality may have value. Scientific knowledge, even the most authentic and precise, is relative in character. Sold Exclusively 2. Knowing absolute truth/universal truth is only possible through a personal relationship with the One who claims to be the Truth—Jesus Christ. You may hardly uncover someone who has never heard about WhatsApp. Still, this is only one of five avenues for advancing proofs in support of claims to knowing. Negative political campaign ads often yield pragmatic results. The ultimate aim of all "knowing" has always been . However, the basis and conditions for the exercise of this right remain unclear in domestic laws. . . Here are five avenues of epistemology, ways of knowing truth, described in detail: 1. Because people believe in different prophets and different gods, invoking "revelation" for making claims to truth is sometimes reduced to rude exchanges of "My god is bigger than your god." Others interpret right and wrong to have been determined by God, for example the Ten Commandments. Many intellectual and well educated members of our society in government, industry, the professions and academia, who retain a serious interest in truth often appear to comprehend it as applying almost exclusively to two categories of concern: (1) concepts, hypotheses, theories and abstract ideas; (2) physical and economic facts, such for example — did the shipment meet our specifications or what is the bottom line? . Yet neither his doctorate nor his well-honed empirically cognitive skills constitute the core of his feeling vibrantly connected to Nature. “Absolute Truth” is true regardless of what we believe and think. Because hypotheses are always expressed in words, the "nature of truth" becomes inseparably embedded within language; Truth is assumed to be a function accurately stated words, and these words, in turn, correlate with accurate ideas about world realities. Two of its most common manifestations are as Truth and as Beauty both of which we experience as perceptions. you understand, . Read about the Nature of Truth. This approach maintains: That which I can prove to my senses is true. The assertion is scrutinized by testing whether it contains fallacies or non sequiturs, and whether it consists of logically persuasive arguments and is free of contradictions. Therefore, it is fair to question whether such a non-objective process can produce any knowledge of value or even begin to approach Truth? In courts of law, cases are made upon the merits of evidence!