The quest to search for the meaning of life has led human beings to formulate philosophical, cultural and religious reasoning to acquire conclusive answers. During an entire life, one would engage in activities such as working, eating, socializing, and learning eventually dies. The question is then, what is the meaning essence of life other than the normal activities every single human engages in? An important significance of life is the institution of the family. Great emphasis is always put on the continuity of the family because it guarantees the everlasting significance and identity of life even if one person dies. Humanity tends to appreciate and relate themselves to their forefathers who came before them. Equally, those who are still alive will always work hard to ensure that their children live a better in the future. Therefore, it can be argued that the meaning and significance of life is to ensure continuity of the family. Knowledge can also be viewed as a significance of life. It has always been put that knowledge is a source of power and without it, one is seen as useless. The paper will focus on the various philosophical aspects of knowledge and their essence in practical life.
Among the many philosophical reasoning put forward, there are three that are keen to explain the theory of knowledge and debunk it from fallacies that have been associated with it. The philosophies are epistemology, rationalism, and empiricism. Epistemology is the study of the human knowledge and the difference between justifiable beliefs and opinion. It focuses on the relationship of human mind and reality and the relationship between concepts, logical reasoning, emotions, and mentality ( Cherwitz & Johnstone, 2014). Human beings live in a world where there are a lot of truth and falsehood. Epistemology teaches on proper methods of evaluation hence people can be able to distinguish what is right from what is wrong. Without epistemology, it is impossible to think and henceforth draw sound judgments in different situations.
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Rationalism, on the other hand, is the application of intellectual and deductive reasoning as a source of knowledge. It is opposed to the reliance on sensory experience or any religious teachings. Rationalism also states that mathematical and logical reasoning can be used as the basis of knowledge as asserted by Polanyi (2015). Rationalism states that human beings possess some form of innate reasoning that is manifested just after birth. This is true because little babies have the affinity and faculty for language. Through the mathematical knowledge and logic reasoning, humanity has been able to acquire decisive knowledge through the application of such concepts to the field of statistics. Some forms of knowledge are acquired through rational reasoning as opposed to experiences such as aesthetic truths and causation truths. However, rationalism may have flaws as a philosophical reasoning because it rubbishes the reliance of religious teachings as a source of knowledge. Religious teachings have a universal appeal and are important in shaping character and molding individuals through the values encompassed in the holy books. Therefore, ignoring the religious thinking, as stated in rationalism, is a recipe for chaos and dis-organization in the world.
The third philosophical theory called empiricism states that the origin of knowledge is sense experience. It is a theory that debunks the idea of innate knowledge and in turn, postulates that knowledge is exclusively acquired through sensory and life experience. The theory of empiricism could be true when looked at in the perspective that it is through exposure to different situations that a child gets to learn about the environment. The capacity to think will increase when one reads some books or does one thing over and over again. However, it may not be true when the philosophy states that the human brain at birth is usually blank and acquires knowledge as time goes on. According to Thines (2015), the sensual information is right there at birth, and this can be proved by the fact that a child will always rightfully identify the mother.
The three philosophical reasoning integrate to form a coherent philosophy important in the daily life. They try to explain the etiology of knowledge and its dynamism which is an important aspect of life as far as decision making is concerned. First, the philosophies help in distinguishing between truth and fallacy. There are many fallacies across the world that needs critical thinking to reject their credibility. Some communities are associated with for example terrorism, theft, etc. This kind of generalization based on one occurrence would require epistemological thinking to get the truth. Leaders across the world need to be rational in their decisions to enjoy a peaceful coexistence with the electorate and also to steer their respective nations forward. The application of mathematical and logical reasoning is an important tool in research methods which may give vital information in demographics and other statistical inferences such as the opinion poll. Finally, the philosophies are important in the implementation of learning as a sole tool for gaining knowledge. Empiricism defines that experience is the fountain of knowledge and therefore the constant repetition of knowledge through learning will have a positive impact on the knowledge of the learners.
In conclusion, it is vital to appreciate the meaning of life and its significance. Many theories have been suggested in this regards including the family, the country, and knowledge. In consideration of knowledge, three philosophies, epistemology, rationalism and empiricism play a critical role in explaining knowledge and its origin. The theories are important in the day to day life of an individual, and without their input then the world would be full of lies, errors and unjustifiable beliefs.
References
Cherwitz, R. A., & Johnstone Jr, H. W. (2014). Rhetoric and philosophy . Routledge.
Polanyi, M. (2015). Personal knowledge: Towards a post-critical philosophy . University of Chicago Press.
Thines, G. (2015). Phenomenology and the science of behavior: A historical and epistemological approach.
