Is there a difference between ‘knowing’ something and ‘having knowledge’ of something ?

In my perspective, knowledge when combined with experience becomes ‘knowing’.

“Knowing”, can be defined as the skill or expertise that is acquired by a human being through his/her experiences and education, as well as through understanding, perception, learning, communication, association, and reasoning of the mind. Knowing something implies that you have either experienced it, have done it, or have mastered the subject.

When we say we have knowledge about something, it can be implied that we know some facts about the subject.  It’s something like saying that we are aware of a subject but don’t really have a deep understanding about it.  Knowing is related to the mind while knowledge to the brain.

Example : I have knowledge of Salsa dance because I’ve watched several Salsa performances, but I don’t know Salsa because I have not learned it / tried it myself

What is ‘truth’ ?

Truth is reality and it is constant, permanent and unchanging, over time and space. It is something that conforms to actuality and does not depend on anything.  . In other words, truth is a belief  based on an observation. It is something which we  perceive and experience . We know something is true when we personally experience it. There is no other way to be sure of something being true.

Truth is not an illusion. It has a corresponding fact in it and in order for something to be “true” it must be independent, public  and eternal. Anything which goes out of this limit cannot be truth.

Something which is not entirely false does not automatically become true and also something which is not entirely true does not automatically become false.

What do we really mean when we say something is ‘true’ ?

When we say something is true, we believe that it is actual or real . Truth is usually faith. We know something is true when we personally experience it and this experience makes us to believe it is true. There is no other way to be sure of something being true unless we experience it. This belief is dependent on our human sensory perception, that is on the basis of the information passed to our brain from our sensory organs. It is really difficult as a human to know what is True or Real because everything we experience or understand is done so through the filters of human sensory perception, which allows us to get one perspective about a thing, whether it is true or false. Our senses pass on the information to our brain each time and our brain simply forms the true picture using our previous experience and things which guided us in the past.

Is there a difference between knowing something is ‘true’ and believing that something is ‘true’ ?

Yes, there is. Knowing something is true and believing something is true are different.

Knowing involves a level of certainty that may come from a variety of sources. We may know things, what we cannot prove. Knowing is the state of mind which arises from first hand awareness of an event, something that we have personally experienced through any of our five senses or through our own accomplishments. We know something is true when we personally experience it.

But believing is different. Believing is the state of mind where we have the choice whether or not to accept what we hear or read or come to know is true or not from a secondary source . It is based on trust, hope and faith. We have the choice to consider second-hand knowledge that we get.

For example :

1. I have a friend whom I trust. And I will go with this belief in my friend forever, unless something occurs to alter the belief.  Acknowledging that, is something based on trust, I am aware that I cannot be 100 percent certain, only 100 percent trustful.  

2. I hope that the Indian team will win the World Cup. Again this hope can be shredded by any evidence that disproves the belief. Therefore it lacks 100 percent certainty

3. I have faith in my parents. I think that most belief based on faith involves always on positive occurrences. So that gives us the conclusion that believing something is true is entirely is a matter of choice.

What is the difference between subjective and objective ‘truth’ ?

“Subjective” refers to mere feelings or opinions while “Objective” refers to hard facts.

A subjective truth is a truth based on a person’s sensory perception like perspective, feelings, or opinions which are involved in the decision-making process. Thus, everything we know is subjective. It is not scientifically proven & depends on one’s opinion or belief & may be true or false

Objective refers to the elimination of subjective perspectives and a process that is purely based on hard facts. It is confirmed by science & universally accepted.

What is a ‘fact’ and can ‘facts’ change ?

Facts are indisputable truths supported by evidence.

Fact = Truth + Evidence. A fact is a proven truth.

The things we call facts are what we would call something we have thought might be true, and therefore tested. The results were in line with our expectations, and we can use this to predict that those results will be the same if the conditions of the test are repeated in the future.

Facts are snapshots of a reality that existed when they were made. Reality changes. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that the facts were incorrect, let alone that there are no facts to begin with. Facts are liable to change and can change at any point of time. Facts therefore change over time as the reality changes.

Facts are observable and are typically measurable.

For example, the statement “India has 29 states” is a fact. We can verify the statement and see that it is a fact. But this fact can also change later at any point of time when reality changes.

How do we discover if something is ‘true’ or not ?

To discover if something is true or not, we can seek for the likely alternatives to the truth and dig for evidence that may dispute the truth. If none exists, it is an indication that what we have may be the truth!. That brings us to the point that anything that is verifiable and repeatable is likely to be true. If its is not verifiable and repeatable, then it may well be completely false, or at least partially false.

“We do not see things as they are but as we are” Anais Nin. What does this mean ?

I believe this is related to the idea that each person sees things filtered through their own perceptions. So, none of us really sees things objectively. Every person sees it with their own beliefs, preconceptions, interpretation, and attitude.

This means that the way we see things reflects who we are and our real personality.

One example is how we perceive a problem. Each person has a different way of tackling problems in life. If we see the problem as a big burden, our perception tells us that we are a passive person with lots of negativity. If we see it as a learning opportunity and as a way to improve ourselves, that perception tells us that we are a person brimming with optimism viewed.

“Reality is an illusion, albeit a very persistent one”Einstein. What does this mean ?

I think Einstein was referencing the idea that whatever our mind perceives is the reality that we see and it can be an illusion created by the continuous thought process in our minds. In other words, it is only possible to prove what is there in our mind or only in the way that our mind sees it. That is, it is impossible to prove any idea or anything else which exists other than what’s in your mind. So, reality can be viewed as only what is in your mind – which can be as an illusion.

Is there a difference between ‘true’ and ‘valid’? Explain!

Yes, there is a difference between the terms “True” and “Valid”.

Truth and validity are two different notions. Truth is predicted based on propositions whereas validity is predicted based on arguments. Propositions are either true or false.

A statement is true if what it asserts matches what is observed in reality. On the other hand, a statement is valid if a condition of an argument in which the conclusion is true on the reason that its premises are considered true.

What is ontology ? How is it relevant to research ?

Ontology is a format of study that only deals with relevant data. It do not include conceptual data based on belief or assumption. Most of the real world study and research follows the method of ontology to until they reach a conclusion. Studies based on real life data of mankind, nature, matter, space, etc can be considered under ontology. During the early ages of mankind there was no distinguishing factor between reality and facts based on beliefs or rituals. For example, early civilizations of Egypt or Mayans believed that after life is possible. But nowadays people can point out difference between study based on belief or unreal facts and those with real life factors. Although still many percentage of the human race follow the study based on belief, research based on real facts have gained an important stand in the day to day life of every living thing on earth.

Research based on real data is more relevant nowadays that those based on beliefs or cultural practice. All the breakthroughs in treating against human or animal illness are based on real world data and those done based on beliefs have proven to cause serious problems if practiced wrongly. Research based on real data have many advantages over the one based on conceptual data. Research topics based on mathematics, time, date, element, etc comes under ontology.

What is epistemology? How is it relevant to research?

Epistemology is a study based on conceptual data developed based on centuries of evolution of beliefs. Research based on epistemology data are found more common than those with real data. Most of the research are based on the data collected from historical writings or symbols and even through word of mouth from an experience person who is a strong believer. Interesting fact about research based on unreal facts is that it somehow manages to explain the mystery factors surrounding us, thus making it the most interesting and attractive research for people. Data or research based on conceptual data can influence a group of people more easily and it also can alter one’s belief to a new one. Research topics based on emotions, beliefs, God, rituals, mystery and myths are based on epistemology.

What is the connection between ontology and epistemology in a research context?

In research, both ontology and epistemology are connected in many ways. One cannot gather information based on real facts alone thereby the need to consider conceptual data is also important. Research at first will be based on a concept and this concept could be having clear explanation in any information collected from belief or cultural aspect. With this imaginary or conceptual data one can proceed with the research and can try to relate it with real life data thus creating a methodology which uses ontological and epistemological information to come to a conclusion and thereby proving the research as a true and valid one.