Theme 1: Theory of knowledge

"Critique of Pure Reason" Kant's ideas

Kant said that the path of science is the endless process and its outcome can even not be well grounded. To Kant’s belief, scientists are groping around the concepts trying to reach the real perception but they are doing the research in a reversal way. Philosopher assumed that object as a priori can be determined through experience. Nevertheless, only the experience will not constitute the matter of the world because there is always something behind personal knowledge. Philosopher analyzed relation between cognition and object and defined the object in a twofold meaning: things as appearances and things in themselves. The second groups of object are not perceived from experience or empirical observation, for example, God or faith. These things have to be considered as a priori, but Kant criticized that “our representation of things as they are given to us does not conform to these things as they are in themselves but rather conform our way of representing” (Kant, "Critique of Pure Reason", p. 112). Therefore, scientists limit themselves presuming according to existing categories of objects and do not pay attention to the object as the core of cognition. According to Kant, the progress of metaphysics could be made if it is agreed that we assume things from practical point of view and do not limit cognition categories.

Socrates: "Knowledge is perception"

To Socrates’ mind, gaining knowledge is the process because “nothing is self-existent” (Plato, Theaetetus). Perception is individualistic symbiosis between body and human sensitives under the certain circumstances. For instance, wine would be bitter if a person is ill and become sweeter after the recovery. Socrates applied motion theory to the senses: the eye is a tool defining as “seeing eye” to catch and transfer as an example white colour which is an instrument to cognize sense - whiteness. According to Socrates, apprehension is based on interaction between agent and the patient. In that case the organ is the percipient which is always in a motion (different circumstances) and make the perception. Socrates arguments are related with empiricism since emphasize of sense. Adherents of empiricism support Socrates idea that the perception is brought about by senses.