Where Does Knowledge Come From?

[Nakosis]

Does knowledge come from practical experience?
Or does it come from reasoning?

Do you gain knowledge of the world by touching, seeing, smelling?
Or do you gain knowledge of the world through logic and rational thinking?

Which do you think is more reliable?

 

[Eddi]

Does knowledge come from practical experience?
Or does it come from reasoning?

Do you gain knowledge of the world by touching, seeing, smelling?
Or do you gain knowledge of the world through logic and rational thinking?

Which do you think is more reliable?

In 2004 I literally drove myself insane trying to comprehend this, amongst other things

In the right circumstances, this question can become quite a rabbit hole

 

[ChristineM]

Does knowledge come from practical experience?
Or does it come from reasoning?

Do you gain knowledge of the world by touching, seeing, smelling?
Or do you gain knowledge of the world through logic and rational thinking?

Which do you think is more reliable?

I think it comes from practical experience, academic learning.

 

[Orbit]

The most basic form of knowledge is based on observations of the world around us. That is the basis of science. The illusion of knowledge occurs when we overstep our observations and start building theoretical castles in the air.

 

[Heyo]

Does knowledge come from practical experience?
Or does it come from reasoning?

Do you gain knowledge of the world by touching, seeing, smelling?
Or do you gain knowledge of the world through logic and rational thinking?

Which do you think is more reliable?

The most reliable source of knowledge is pain, i.e. experience. We learn from making false assumptions and getting them falsified.
But that "only" helps us with the real world, i.e. that what really matters. For more abstract knowledge, like maths and philosophy, we would have to rely on our thinking ability.

 

[Soandso]

Oof... This is a tough question

Knowledge is simply information we internalize to be accessed later. There is good and bad information. There are ways to filter the good from the bad information, but their usefulness depends on the context of the environment that it's being deployed in

The propper way to tie one's shoe can be analyzed to infinity due to how many different knots there are and their different strengths. We use bowtie knots though due to the popularity it has within our culture. It does the job and it's easy, so there's no real reason to reinvent the wheel when we already have a working model - even if it isn't the most efficient one. My dad taught me how to tie mine, but anyone can teach others how to do it because of how deeply engrained the practice is in society

That doesn't fly when it comes to things that DO require the best of the best in information, though. Would you want a heart surgeon who is caught up on all the best practices and who knows the working of the heart at the highest academic level, or one who knows what he knows cause his dad taught him how to do it, much like how mine taught me how to tie my shoes?

I guess it depends on what you hope to achieve with the knowledge you have

 

[dybmh]

Knowledge... knowing where the ledge is.

Where does it come from?

1. Keep your eyes open
2. Pay attention to any posted signs
3. Take it slow one step at a time
4. Don't be a lemming / avoid herd mentality
5. If you get lost, retrace your steps, and ask for directions
6. Acknowledge your ignorance / solid ground could be nothing but weak sand or snow

 

[PureX]

Does knowledge come from practical experience?
Or does it come from reasoning?

Do you gain knowledge of the world by touching, seeing, smelling?
Or do you gain knowledge of the world through logic and rational thinking?

Which do you think is more reliable?

Knowledge comes from experience and reason.

As to the quote, though, I would have to remind Steven Hawking that the "illusion of knowledge" is the main cause of "ignorance". "Ignorance" not being a lack of information, but rather the rejection of information (from the root, "ignore"). Once we think we know what the truth is, we assess all new information in accordance with that presumed truth. Thus, rejecting (ignoring) any new information that does not comport with our currently held (and presumed true) information, as being false.

Which brings us to the difference between knowledge and wisdom. Knowledge being the pile of information that we've managed to acquire over the years, and wisdom being the pile of information that we've been willing to drop over the years.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Does knowledge come from practical experience?
Or does it come from reasoning?

Do you gain knowledge of the world by touching, seeing, smelling?
Or do you gain knowledge of the world through logic and rational thinking?

Which do you think is more reliable?

I know I know!!!

Um...

No I don't.

 

[Wildswanderer]

Does knowledge come from practical experience?
Or does it come from reasoning?

Do you gain knowledge of the world by touching, seeing, smelling?
Or do you gain knowledge of the world through logic and rational thinking?

Which do you think is more reliable?

Practical experience is more reliable, of course.
A lot of people think they know something but unless they've experienced it, it's not true knowledge.

 

[joe1776]

Most knowledge begins with the senses. We have to see, hear, smell, taste or feel something (an effect). From there, we employ reason in an attempt to figure out what caused it. The "scientific method" begins with an observation of a sensed effect.

Moral judgments are the exception. We FEEL whether an action is right or wrong immediately. As science is now learning over the past 20 years, we are born with the basic structure of conscience. It's intuitive (felt). We aren't taught to discern right from wrong by our parents and society. That notion is a popular myth.

 

[syo]

My husband. He knows everything.