Theory of Knowledge Essay 2
“Human beings are not aware of their assumptions and basic beliefs, much as fish are unaware of the water in which they live.” Discuss
This topic sentence implies discussing assumptions and basic beliefs of the human mind, and how they sometimes seem to act independently of our awareness. In order to do that, we must first attempt to define these two concepts. An assumption is a premise taken for granted in a train of thought, one that is included but not evaluated in a conclusion. For example, one of the most basic assumptions we human beings make is that of the existence of the world. When we later draw the conclusion that the furry four-legged animal we see is a cat, we should ideally say that ‘this is a cat, assuming that there is a world…’ In most cases, this very fundamental statement is left out, because the existence of the world is assumed. And like many of its kind, it is an assumption that we seldom, if ever, attempt to critically assess. Most of the time we are not even aware of it.
A belief, on the other hand, seems to have an overtone of awareness. When we say ‘I believe this’ we are clearly aware of that premise in our further contemplating. Of course, one could say ‘Now I assume this and that’, thereby seemingly become aware of an assumption. It is however not certain that such statements really contain an assumption, it is in many cases merely a guess. It is very difficult to draw a clear line between assumptions and basic beliefs. The further argumentation will not depend on a clear distinction between the two.
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The topic sentence presents us with a simile, where the relation between the human mind and its assumptions and basic beliefs is likened to that between fish and the water in which they live. It can be interpreted like the following: Fish hatch in water and live their entire lives in it, and know of nothing else, which ironically partly why they are unaware of it. Because they see the world through it, it is entirely transparent to them. Whatever they choose to do, and wherever they swim, they are confined to do that within the boundaries of the water. It is true that they could, in principle, flounder out of the water. Unfortunately, they are not suited to survive outside of it, as they cannot extract vital oxygen out of air like humans. Hence they must remain where they rightfully belong. The water offers them both advantages and limitations. Fish survive in it, but it has very limited vision at distance, they are free to swim in any direction, but they must stay within its limits, or find themselves another water to live in.
All of these points are easily transferred to the relation between assumptions and beliefs, and the human mind. Like the water always surrounds the fish, so will assumptions and basic beliefs always affect the human mind. That this is and must be the case is most evident if we consider the so-called ‘basic laws of thought’, for example the ‘law of identity’. According to that law, if a is the same as b, and b is the same as c, then a must be the same as c. Such very basic concepts of logic act as the basis of our understanding of the world, and are absolutely crucial before we can draw more advanced conclusions. Nobody has so far been able to successfully prove their validity, and yet we do not question them. We have to assume their correctness in order to have a foundation to base our conclusions upon. Already at this simple level, the human mind is ‘floating’ in assumptions, just like the fish float in water.
Since the fish know of nothing else than water, they are unaware of its presence. The same is for one thing true for humans and the air we breathe, but there are also many assumptions we constantly make without really being aware of them. One example of that is our perception of gravity. In our daily lives, nobody would argue against the fact that an object dropped at an altitude will immediately start falling towards the earth. It consumes no mind activity, and is hardly ever an element of surprise to us, because we assume it to happen. First when we experience the suspension of gravity will we react, with great surprise, but not even then would we question our assumption of the existence of gravity. This is just like with fish. A fish taken out of the water would feel just as awkward as a person experiencing the lack of gravity, and they would both consider it as an exception until they are either restored to their original conditions, or they get assimilated into new assumptions. Our assumptions are not the first put to test when we experience something odd, which is one reason why they are assumptions.
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That assumptions confine the human mind, just like the limits of the sea confines the world for the fish, is not very surprising. Naturally, if no assumptions like the ‘law of identity’ described above existed, our minds would be free to think in any sensible and senseless way. However, that would not be of much use. Start by not assuming that the world does exist, and see where you end up. Basically any theory would be valid, but none would be of much use. Just like it is good for the fish to experience difficulties in trying to escape water, it is good for our minds to stay within some boundaries – to stay sane. Time has ensured that the human mind remains where it rightfully belongs, and not wanders off into insanity.
But limitations on thought can naturally also restrict thinking in a negative way. This was clearly shown when Einstein so boldly discarded Newton in his theories of relativity. What he did was to prove our assumptions of time and space as being two separate, static entities to be incorrect. This in a way contradicted common sense, as we clearly cannot exchange time for space, no matter how useful that could be in many situations. Ever since Newton’s days, nobody had questioned our view of the universe. Our belief in time and space as being just like the human mind comprehends them was so basic that it had never before occurred to anyone that it was a premise just as fragile as any, and that there were other imaginable ways to see them. The unawareness of the water combined with its limited vision had made progress difficult, because it relied on faulty foundations.
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When a paradigm shift like the previous occurs, this is because someone has successfully broken out of the limitations the current assumptions posed. Assumptions are refuted, but more importantly, they are revealed. Water is not transparent if looked at from the shore. It reflects light and has a distinct surface to the air. But if seen from below the surface, the way fish do, it is transparent. This is the case with our assumptions. Once they are revealed, and we can see them from above the surface, they are clearly visible, but while they affect our thinking, they are invisible, because they are below the surface.
In the fish simile, this would all be like one fish jumping out of the water, only to discover another sea on the other side of a barrier. Although the other sea lay so close, all the fish were previously unaware of it, because in their assumption of the world, it was not there. And they were not only unaware of the sea, but also of the unawareness itself.
Indeed, it frequently seems to be the case that human beings are unaware of their assumptions, much like fish are unaware of the water in which they live. Assumptions provide the very foundation of thought, but they also restrict our thinking in both positive and negative ways. It is necessary to attempt to focus the human mind on ‘creative’ thinking, but at the same time an amount of freedom is necessary for progress to occur. So what does it all mean? Is some knowledge beyond reach of the human mind, because our assumptions prevent us from getting there? Quite possibly, unless a change of paradigm leaves us in the right waters.
And after all, water is the healthiest environment for fish, and as long as they stay out of the muddy waters, pursuing their happy lives should not be difficult.
That is, assuming water exists.
