€œWe see and understand things not as they are but as we Essay

â‚ ¬Ã…“We see and understand things not as they are but as we are.â‚ ¬Ã¯ ¿ ½ Discuss this claim in relation to at least two ways of knowing - Essay Example Empiricism is the theory that knowledge can only be gained from actual perceptions. It is an extension of the Aristotelian theory that human mind is a blank slate (or in Aristotle’s words – â€Å"Tabula Rasa†, an empty tablet) and only experience can bring in knowledge. This was later expounded in the 17th century by a number of philosophers like, Locke. As per this theory, only the sensory experiences allow us to understand the world. Soon it could be seen that experiences and sensations, by themselves, cannot explain most of the things like religion, philosophical concepts etc. It was therefore necessary to add an element of inductive inference from the actual sensory perception to convert it into knowledge. This is, by definition, a deviation from the pure empiricism as the inductive inference that a human being makes is dependent on the habits and beliefs of the person in question. Knowledge thus ceases to be an absolute entity anymore and is dependent on the person acquiring the belief. Rationalism states that reason is the fundamental building block of our knowledge. It does not ignore the physical sensory perceptions but argues that the reason in the human mind is responsible for co-relating the events into knowledge. The most famous exponent of this theory was Rene Descartes. His â€Å"cogito ergo sum† or â€Å"I think, therefore I am† is probably the simplest definition of rationalism – where the process of thinking of an individual becomes the keystone of his knowledge. As Babich and Cohen tells us in regard to Descartes that â€Å"because he assumes that the intellect is naturally the same in all humans, everyone can participate in this knowledge if they can think† (Babich and Cohen, p.53). Rationalism is based on certain specific concepts like the intuition/ deduction theory, the innate knowledge theory and the innate concept theory. The intuition/ deduction theory tells us that knowledge

Why you chose Psychology Major (Personal Autobiography) Essay

Why you chose Psychology Major (Personal Autobiography) - Essay Example I would like to understand the thought pattern of humans and help change how they interact with fellow humans in order to have a more functional society. Therefore, I chose psychology major because apart from it being a fully fledged career on its own, whatever else career one chooses, employability is enhanced when there is a psychology background. By majoring in psychology, I will use research to learn elementary human behavior, and apply the knowledge to solve problems that affect holistic human development. Psychology will enable me to simultaneously use science and practice, stimulating my continuous development of both. I am a person who is inclined to contribute to the wellbeing and prosperity of all areas of the society. Having been brought up in an urban, low-income and marginalized neighborhood, I witnessed many kinds of social ills where school children engaged in sexual immorality, the youth got into crime and adults openly abused drugs and neglected their families. The social fabric was completely ripped apart and no neighbor could stand up to address the rampant problems. Although studies have generalized such neighborhoods to inherently have social breakdowns, to an extent of stereotyping, I believe such societies are as human as any other. They need patience, understanding and dedicated efforts towards achieving normal lives. Stereotyping, marginalizing and segregation will only aggravate the situation. Psychology, therefore, will enable me to work with other professionals in other fields including policymakers, lawyers, physicians, school personnel, computer experts and engineers towards understanding many problems. As a psychology major, my objective is to understand the cause of people being the way they are, doing the things they do and behaving the way they do. Throughout my childhood, even though living a below-average life, I have always been a hard worker and performer in school. Perhaps my forced, early association with the local church saved me from the lifestyle I witnessed and continue to witness among my peers. Through this, I believe I am ready and have the flexibility to face the various and diverse tasks and schedules associated with a psychologist’s career. I want to overcome challenges and satisfy the desire to be part of a team that will adapt technology and benefit human life; to participate in primary healthcare work; to advice disturbed youth; to set up care facilities for the aged and neglected; to encourage children to attend school; to raise awareness of the perils of crime and drug abuse; and ultimately, to be the change that marginal ized societies need. I chose a psychology major because it is also one of the most effective avenues towards understanding myself, not only others. Through psychology, I will achieve this by studying characteristics of human conduct that will help me in my daily life including my perception of the roots of psychological disorders; my capacity to deal with pressure; my memory and learning performance; and my interactions with other people. My key drive towards a psychology major is to understand why the society I grew up in is the way it is. However, I can also integrate any of the other social studies with what I will learn so as to help bring change to the society, not only understand it. For example, an insight of human conduct as