Methods used as a tool of acquiring Knowledge

 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.