Human knowledge works at two
levels.
At the primary level it functions as the basis of useful human activities, as when a teacher
solves mathematical problems for the students or as when a doctor uses his
knowledge to cure diseases. At the
secondary level knowledge is employed to obtain increments in the existing
knowledge. The activity that produces this new knowledge is known as research.
All
research is an advance on existing frontiers of knowledge. It takes us beyond
the frontiers of present knowledge. Both breaking fresh ground and improving
existing knowledge are the proper functions of research.
The activity that produces this new knowledge is
known as research. All research is
an advance on existing frontiers of knowledge. It takes us beyond the borders
of present knowledge. Both are breaking fresh ground and improving existing
knowledge and the proper functions of research.
However,
the research enhances to the existing knowledge in an orderly way. This
tidiness is to be particularly emphasized. Mere aimless and confused assemblage
for new knowledge does not stand for research. The knowledge which accrues from
research is verified and verifiable by anybody who may like to do so. The
process by which it has been resultant is replicable i.e. it can be repeated
and the stated results confirmed.
However, people have always tried to discuss, understand, clarify and
control the things and events around them. Sense perception, authority, reason,
assumption, metaphysics, magic, expert opinion, tradition, personal experience
and science are among the system that have been used to get the knowledge.
Sense Perception:
Sense
perception was most likely the first method of understanding the surroundings.
Empir ica l knowledge refers to information obtained by the senses, and
empiricists think that our senses are the fundamental source of all knowledge.
A connected series of notions that help people make sense of a disorderly
environment and perform more successfully in it can be defined as sense
perception. Although the judgments of sensory perception have been and can be
valuable, they can also be incorrect.
There are several types of senses
that we have:
ü Sight, sound, touch, and taste are the objective
senses that tell us about the world.
ü The visceral senses, which are
located in our mouths and guts, provide us with the sensation of stomach pain.
ü The proprioceptive senses, which
are located in our muscles that provide informa tio n about paw.
The initial understanding of the environment possibly came through sense
perception. It ranges from experiences and practical judgments in everyday
life. The sense perception may be defined as a connected series of concepts
that help people to make sense out of a chaotic environment and to function
more effectively in it. Although sense perception conclusions have been and can
be valuable, let they can be wrong. For example, initial observations of the
learning process by psychologists and educators led to the sense perception
conclusion that exercise enhances learning i.e. “practice makes perfect”.
Observations of highly skilled individuals such as musicians and artists who
practice a great deal to perfect their abilities, possibly contributed to this
belief. As a result, students have been repeatedly asked to recite the alphabet
and multiplication tables and to complete large homework assignments. We can
quote here the renowned theorist. In Daily Life
Sensations and perceptions shape the way humans see
the world. The ability to take in informa tio n from and process reality it in
meaningful ways allows people to form a
worldview that helps them to understand life and make wise decisions .
Reason:
The
process of employing known facts to
arrive at new facts is called as reasoning. Reason
can
assist
us in arriving at new facts or information in this way.
There are two types of reasoning: deduction and induction.
Deduction is a type of reasoning commonly used in mathematics, and it is the
more certain of the two because it includes extracting accurate conclusions
from previously known facts. Induction is more common in science and is less
clear because it entails going from a few things you've noticed to making broad
statements about everything.
Authority:
People typically seek information from an
authority, that is, someone who has had experience with the subject or has some
other source of skill, for things that are difficult or impossible to know via
personal experience. The word of acknowledged authority is taken as gospel.
When
a crisis occurs due to an unforeseen circumstance, such as a storm, calamity,
or conflict, man frequently finds tradition insufficient. He usually emerges
from his self-approval and seeks out new and improved ways of behaving. People
used to believe that an authority was proper simply because of the position he
or she had, such as king, chief, or high priest. Authority is a convenient and
quick source of information.
However,
authority has drawbacks as a source of knowledge that you must consider. To
begin with, authorities can be mistaken. People frequently claim to be experts
in an area when they lack the necessary expertise to back up their claims.
Second, you may discover that authorities disagree on subjects, showing that
their authoritative assertions are frequently more personal opinions than
facts.
Rationality:
Rationalism is a belief system in which knowledge
is attained via reason rather than through direct experience with the universe.
It's also known as metaphysics. It is a national method to understanding the
ultimate event and reality. It is concerned with the causes and principles of
existent things rather than with personal experience. Rationalism considers
human reason to be the only reliable source of information. Rationalists do not
believe that religion or experience are required to confirm knowledge.
Magic:
Magic is used to gain knowledge, power, love, or fortune in order to
heal illness or danger, boost productivity or success in an attempt to hurt an
opponent, reveal information, persuade spiritua l transformation, trick, or
entertain. Magic is divided into two categories. One is contagious, while the
other is imitative magic. In imitative magic, people try to reproduce a desired
effect by emulating it. Contagious magic, on the other hand, is based on links
between objects or events.
Scientific Method:
The
scientific approach is generally described as a method of gaining knowledge in
which investigators move consistently from their observations to hypothesis and
then deducible from the

hypothesis
to the logical implications of the hypothesis. They deduce the results that
would follow if a hypothesized relationship were correct. If the deduced
suggestions are agreeable with the organized body of accepted knowledge,
researchers then further test them by gathering observed data. On the basis of
evidence, they except or reject the hypothesis. Observed facts are used to
generate theories or hypotheses that are compatible with those facts in
induction. Similar ly, specific suggestions are derived from a theory in
deduction. Sometimes, both inductive and deductive methods are used to get
knowledge.
Expert opinion:
Sometimes
in search of knowledge one can take the testament of experts who, because of
their training, intellect, expert experience or abilities, are better informed
than other people. Associates and discussions with experts are also helpful to
get knowledge. The participation of researchers in seminars, conferences,
workshops and listening to the learned specialists are very helpful in getting
knowledge and locating research problems. However, an effort must be made to
find out whether the specialists are recognized by other authorities in the
ground and whether they are in a position to-know the evidences about the
particular problems under consideration.