Human experiences in life create an opportunity for the rise in various philosophical questions. One of the common questions is regarding whether one can know anything for sure about the world around him or her. This is a complicated question that most people find difficulties in answering it. It may seem evident that one knows some things, but the challenge lies in figuring out how one knows he or she knows something. While the human brain not only processes information but also generates the reality that individuals readily accept thus creating confusing perceptions and the experiences of actual fact, things are only satisfied to the extent that they do not change.
It seems clear that things are only certain until the extent that they do not change. People may not clearly know anything about the world around them, but this does not necessarily mean that they do not know anything completely. Knowing everything around oneself sounds impossible due to the changes brought about by the law of life. The true knowledge that one has towards something only becomes valid in the scope of constancy and not anything beyond it. Once this situation changes, it makes the true knowledge one had acquired about the world around him become invalid.
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In support of how one’s knowledge plays a crucial role in knowing about the worlds around him or her, Immanuel Kant, one of the greatest recognized philosophers, argued that human knowledge only comes from the senses (Velasquez, 1999). Therefore, his transcendental idealism stipulated that the world that appears on an individual is the world that his or her mind constructs through the arrangement of sensations. These sensations arise from the human senses of the various structures provided by the mind. This only means that one’s senses lead to sensations such as colors, smell, and sounds, arranged by the mind based on the experiences of the world around. The mind operates in a unique way arranging anything one perceives appropriately to create rational structures of the worlds around him. Therefore, it is possible to know anything for sure about the world around oneself as the mind puts up these logical structures of these worlds.
The objects that one perceives not to be ultimate reality appear to be more of a shadow of the reality. In his representative theory of human perception, Locke points out that, only things one perceives immediately are his or her ideas (Lowe, 2013). His argument provides an explanation to the question regarding how one can know about the world around him if he only understands such ideas about these worlds. His theory further emphasizes that knowledge about the world around an individual is based neither on reasoning nor on the ideas one already has in mind. Through sensory experience, one may get to acquire relevant knowledge about the world around him or her. Therefore, getting to know nothing for sure about the world around someone entails knowing existing facts but it is a matter of sensory experience.
Getting to know anything for sure about the world around oneself takes one to have knowledge of the real occurrence and existence of things. It is based on one having information that some certain things exist rather than basing arguments from one’s imaginations. Some of the certain things that individuals know they exist are the following. Firstly, each person knows about his existence at a particular time. Regardless of having doubts about their existence, individuals know about their living through every act of thinking. Secondly, individuals also have information about the existence of other things that are distinct to their minds. A good example to illustrate this knowledge is in normal life when individuals will narrate stories from time to time for instance about waters and nature. This portrays that individuals have information about the existence of other things other than their minds. Therefore, knowledge of the world around an individual is knowledge regarding the existence of things that are distinct from his or her mind.
The most important reason why things are only certain until the extent that they do not change is that the only way to be sure about the world around someone it is through the world experiences that feel real. It also takes one's experience to have adequate information about the worlds around him. Normal and continuous occurrence of certain things gives one the experience to understand and know anything about the world around him or her. Without this information then one is left with belief around him that one then chooses to believe and accept its validity. Knowing anything for sure about the world is not easy due to the challenge of figuring out whether what one knows is either true or a mere misconception. The methods and approaches that can generate the truth and distinguish it from false information are not easily identifiable. Furthermore, without these approaches, it is difficult to tell the truth of the matter, and one may have to believe the facts as true records without the keen scrutiny of the issue at hand.
The philosophical question regarding whether one can know anything for sure about the world around him or her is common and complex, as there exist no direct explanation for it. Knowing everything around is the greatest challenge due to the changes brought about by the law of life. Most scholars in the past have argued that the concept of sensory experience can provide essential highlights to the solution of the question (Held, 2011). These sensations arise from the human senses of the various structures provided by the mind. This simply means that one’s senses lead to sensations such as colors, smell, and sounds, arranged by the mind based on the experiences of the world around. The true knowledge that one has towards something only becomes valid in the scope of constancy. When something occurs continuously then, one can make observations and be in a position to tell about it. For instance, the sun rising in the morning and setting in the evening, this is an observation made from the scope of constancy hence one is in a position of knowing about it. When something occurs continuously, it also becomes easy for one to predict information about based on the experience. It is also a good illustration that individuals have information about the existence of other things other than their minds. The knowledge about the world around an individual is based neither on reasoning nor on the ideas one already has in mind.
Conclusion
In conclusion, although The human brain not only processes information but also generates the reality that individuals readily accept thus creating confusing perceptions and the experiences of reality, things are only certain till the extent that they do not change for two main reasons. First, the object that one perceives not to be ultimate reality appears to be more of a shadow of the reality. But most importantly, the only way to be sure about the world is a matter of sensory experience. Finally, getting to know anything for sure about the world around oneself takes one to have knowledge of the real occurrence and existence of things. This knowledge is based neither on reasoning nor on the ideas one already has in mind. The objects that individuals perceive not to be the ultimate reality appear to be more of a shadow of the reality.
References
Held, J. M. (2011). Dr. Seuss and philosophy: Oh, the thinks you can think! . Lanham, Md: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.
Lowe, E. (2013). The Routledge guidebook to Locke's Essay concerning human understanding . Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge.
Velasquez, M. G. (1999). Philosophy, a text with readings . Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Pub. Co.
