Philosophical Foundations: Knowledge, Intelligence, Tradition, and Reason
Understanding Knowledge: Definitions and Models
Knowledge is the understanding of things or a state of being. It involves two main components: the subject (the one who knows or performs the activity of knowing) and the object (what is known or understood). Knowledge also has two aspects: the process of knowing (the activity, the search for truth) and the outcome of knowing (the result, the truth found).
Models of Knowledge
Realism (Aristotle)
In realism, the object has priority. It is considered a fundamental truth that things are directly knowable. The subject adopts a receptive attitude, understanding reality as it is (things are known as they are). This reflects a natural attitude where knowledge elements are trusted.
Idealism (Kant to Hegel)
Idealism emphasizes the primacy of the subject. It questions whether the world is inherently meaningful. Ideas are considered the direct subjects of knowledge. The subject adopts a constructive attitude, understanding reality through its own constructs. This is seen as an artificial or critical approach to knowledge.
Phenomenology
Phenomenology seeks to understand things through their appearance in consciousness, bridging the gap between idealism and realism.
Hermeneutics
Hermeneutics, closely tied to phenomenology, posits that understanding is always based on pre-existing interpretations or prejudices. There are no ’empty’ or purely objective events.
Animal vs. Human Intelligence
Four definitions of intelligence are proposed:
- The ability to adapt to or modify one’s basic living environment, or to use tools.
- The ability to perceive things as reality.
- The ability for signs to become symbols.
- The ability to create abstract and universal ideas.
These definitions highlight the fundamental differences between the human mind and animal intelligence.
The Nature of Tradition
Tradition is transmitted through the socialization process, preserving a certain way of life from previous generations. It represents what we inherit from our ancestors, a historical legacy. This process, through its methods of transmission, gives meaning to things and embodies both power and possibilities.
Tradition also represents a type of power that, on the other hand, can significantly limit us. While wisdom is invaluable, human freedom within tradition allows individuals to refuse to accept its dictates or challenge its reality. Therefore, to fully comprehend tradition, one must analyze its evolution and complexities.
Reason and Rationality
There is no single, monolithic concept of reason or rationality; rather, there are many forms. Therefore, there are various ways to analyze and utilize reasoning today.
Types of Reason
Theoretical and Practical Reason
Humans employ two main types of reason: theoretical reason, aimed at discovering truth, and practical reason, aimed at achieving happiness or good action. Aristotle distinguished theoretical reason as studying things that ‘cannot be otherwise’ (necessary truths). Practical reason, conversely, deals with what ‘can be otherwise’ – contingent realities that may or may not exist, or can manifest in multiple ways.
Historical and Vital Reason
Historical reason evolves with human consciousness. Ortega y Gasset proposed the idea of historical reason, emphasizing that this capacity is not fixed in time but is dynamic; he viewed history itself as the result of reasoning. Ortega also introduced vital reason, asserting that life’s components are reason itself, and that life cannot be analyzed independently of reason.
Instrumental and Communicative Reason
Instrumental reason focuses on controlling technical processes and utilizing resources to meet needs, often based on theoretical knowledge. This instrumental approach extends to social interactions, becoming strategic rationality, where relationships are managed for specific ends, characteristic of ‘Homo Oeconomicus.’ Communicative reason, conversely, seeks mutual understanding and aims to establish shared values for human rationality.