"Ways of knowing are a check on our
instinctive judgements."
MATHS
Pure maths is almost entirely based on
abstract concepts, relying heavily on reason
to verify our often incorrect instincts e.g.
piling paper
All triangles are isosceles:
completely goes against
instincts
Euclidean algebra based entirely upon
reason
OED definition of INTUITION: the ability to understand something
instinctively, without the need for conscious reasoning: we shall
allow our intuition to guide us, a thing that one knows or considers
likely from instinctive feeling rather than conscious reasoning
Perhaps WOK do not help to verify our
intuition at all, but rather give us ways to
evidence preconceived ideas
We will often sort through a pile of data
and select those that confirm what we
already believe, rationalizing away those
that don't
RELIGIOUS KNOWLEDGE SYSTEMS
The Goldilocks Effect: religious people claim that they must
be right because everything is perfectly designed for us: does
this ignore the reason of evolution?
"Intuition is a suppression
of logic due to impatience." - Rita Mae Brown
Daniel Khaneman
Dan Gilbert
Michael Shermer argues that humans are essentially irrational.
Even when they think they are using reason, variables such as
genetic predisposition etc. lead us to our beliefs. Even when we try
and check instinctive judgements using WOK, we cannot
ETHICS
Henry Sidgwick - moral common sense
Our initial judgements can often be
altered when we are provided with
additional information.
Should we sell our kidneys?
Is abortion ever right?
Linguistic determinism: language determines thought