Nick_A wrote: ↑April 9th, 2021, 4:58 pm
Opinion is the medium between knowledge and ignorance. ~ Plato
Modern philosophy is the endless debate between opinions. But can a person experience knowledge by transcending our reliance on opinions?
Plato explains our four cognitive states:
Noesis (immediate intuition, apprehension, or mental 'seeing' of principles)
Dianoia (discursive thought)
Pistis (belief or confidence)
Eikasia (delusion or sheer conjecture)
Eikasia, Pistis, and Dianoia, create the opinions of our senses in the visible world. But noesis is the experience of the greater reality of the intellectual realm above what our senses can experience.
This is exactly where Plato was dead wrong.
People are wrong all the time with their intuitions, and onoy a fool would rely on them alone.
Has anyone experienced it? Apparently Einstein did and explains why he believes it more valuable than dianoia.
1930
"Many people think that the progress of the human race is based on experiences of an empirical, critical nature, but I say that true knowledge is to be had only through a philosophy of deduction. For it is intuition that improves the world, not just following the trodden path of thought. Intuition makes us look at unrelated facts and then think about them until they can all be brought under one law. To look for related facts means holding onto what one has instead of searching for new facts. Intuition is the father of new knowledge, while empiricism is nothing but an accumulation of old knowledge. Intuition, not intellect, is the ‘open sesame’ of yourself." -- Albert Einstein, in Einstein and the Poet – In Search of the Cosmic Man by William Hermanns (Branden Press, 1983, p. 16.), conversation March 4, 1930
Philosophers argue opinions. But how many have the quality of consciousness and the ability for conscious attention essential to experience noesis or intuition? When we cannot, and deny its value, aren't our opinions just ignorance we defend in pursuit of wisdom and the aim of philosophy.
It is true that light bulb moments tend to be amongst the moments that lead to great ideas and "reveleations", but unless they are tested by empirical evidence and discussion, theory and consualtation with other known areas of knoweldge they are most usually wrong.
Humans are great for forgetting light bulb moments that turn out to be crap ideas and great at remembering successful notions that turn out well.
When these moments are at their best, I imagaine that the unconcscious mind is working on problems. People who get great ideas, and solutions have already done their homework.
Garbage in Garbage out. Indolence is rarely rewarded with intiutions of good worth.
I suggest we all know this phenomenon. Sleep on it and you will have your solution. FOrget about the problem for a while and the solution will suggest itself. How many times have you heard these phrases.
But I must insist that
Noesis, is not god given or divine grace, but the ordinary workings of a mind of a person that is fully engaged in their activities.