What is the beginning of Knowledge?

Discuss any topics related to metaphysics (the philosophical study of the principles of reality) or epistemology (the philosophical study of knowledge) in this forum.
popeye1945
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Re: What is the beginning of Knowledge?

Post by popeye1945 »

Uncovering ALL of these answers was Truly REVEALING.
You need to elaborate on this. :)
Kaz_1983
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Re: What is the beginning of Knowledge?

Post by Kaz_1983 »

I hate to repeat myself but all knowledge comes from sensory experience.
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Present awareness
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Re: What is the beginning of Knowledge?

Post by Present awareness »

Kaz_1983 wrote: November 11th, 2020, 10:59 pm I hate to repeat myself but all knowledge comes from sensory experience.
What about instinctive knowledge? How does the bird know how to build the nest or a spider spin the web?

On the level of genetics and chromosomes, knowledge seems to be chemically encoded and passed down to future generations. Knowledge obtained from sensory experiences is stored and referenced against existing instinctive knowledge that’s been passed down. Knowledge obtained from language and math, is abstract knowledge but also may be extremely useful.
Even though you can see me, I might not be here.
popeye1945
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Re: What is the beginning of Knowledge?

Post by popeye1945 »

Instinct you might say is our backward link to our ancestors, much struggle, suffering and dying is involved in the possession of ones instincts. Your biological being is the interface to the physical world and your biological readout, is your apparent reality. It is experiences that form the over all picture. Experience and knowledge are one and the same thing. So, I would think that subject and object, object the physical world and subject your biological being, are the beginnings of knowledge. Subject and object can never be separated they are mutually inclusive and all meaning is the property of the subject.
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Pattern-chaser
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Re: What is the beginning of Knowledge?

Post by Pattern-chaser »

Ghazanfar Arif wrote: June 28th, 2018, 3:34 am Wonder is the beginning of knowledge.

Skepticism is the beginning of knowledge.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.
I think awareness is the beginning of knowledge, closely followed by our needs or wishes to understand the world, and our place in it. Given these encouragements, we look and listen, and we accumulate some knowledge; we learn. And so it continues, n'est ce pas?
Pattern-chaser

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Pattern-chaser
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Re: What is the beginning of Knowledge?

Post by Pattern-chaser »

popeye1945 wrote: November 13th, 2020, 5:36 pm Instinct you might say is our backward link to our ancestors, much struggle, suffering and dying is involved in the possession of ones instincts. Your biological being is the interface to the physical world and your biological readout, is your apparent reality. It is experiences that form the over all picture. Experience and knowledge are one and the same thing. So, I would think that subject and object, object the physical world and subject your biological being, are the beginnings of knowledge. Subject and object can never be separated they are mutually inclusive and all meaning is the property of the subject.
It seems reasonable to me, even obvious, that knowledge is remembered experience. Is there knowledge that doesn't conform to this description? I can't think of any....
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popeye1945
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Re: What is the beginning of Knowledge?

Post by popeye1945 »

Hi Pattern Chaser, Without experience there is nothing, the fact that, that experience is processed doesn't to me undermine the fact that experience is knowledge. One needs the experience or there is nothing to process, What you say is true, it must be remembered to be useful, but that is the later stage of the processes. Instincts and genetic information are another topic, but I believe it is these that link us back to our ancestors and the rest of the biological world.
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Re: What is the beginning of Knowledge?

Post by Pattern-chaser »

popeye1945 wrote: November 14th, 2020, 11:29 am Hi Pattern Chaser, Without experience there is nothing, the fact that, that experience is processed doesn't to me undermine the fact that experience is knowledge. One needs the experience or there is nothing to process, What you say is true, it must be remembered to be useful, but that is the later stage of the processes. Instincts and genetic information are another topic, but I believe it is these that link us back to our ancestors and the rest of the biological world.
Sorry I didn't make it clear: I was agreeing with you. Knowledge derives from experience. 👍
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popeye1945
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Re: What is the beginning of Knowledge?

Post by popeye1945 »

Pattern Chaser, My mistake, I'll have to read more carefully! :)
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