Reason, perception, emotion and language are all ways of knowing Essay Example For Students

Reason, perception, emotion and language are all ways of knowing Essay Reason, perception, emotion and language are all ways of knowing1. Reason is defined as formal logic or knowledge that is gained through rationalism. Perception is an empirical inquiry gained through experience. Emotion is a normative judgement that while language is comprehensive rationality. Different ways of knowing affect different areas of knowledge, which are Mathematics, Human Sciences, Natural Sciences, Ethics, History and the Arts. Both are closely linked with one another. For example, reasoning is the principle theory behind math, affecting the way in which one uses logic to reach answers in Mathematics. Hence, if one does not understand the Mathematical problem, one will not be able to solve it. Similarly, emotion is needed when painting on canvas or writing the lyrics to a song as it involves the expression of ones feelings. Perception is often necessary as well because an artist uses his past experiences and forms his own ideas by observing his surroundings. Before we can evaluate the ways in which emotion enhances or undermines reasoning, we must have a clear definition of an emotion. An emotion is a cognitive and/or a physiological response to a perceived stimulus while reason is any kind of cognitive activity2. There are a few problems in the analysis of an emotion. One of them is the fact that we cannot be definite as to what counts as an emotion. While certain passions are considered emotions, it is difficult to define what constitutes an emotion because there are feelings, like moods, which are long-term and do not fit into the usual violent passion definition of an emotion. Emotions can also be viewed as both rational and irrational because they usually involve both logic ability and personal beliefs. Another problem is that it is difficult to tell whether we control our emotions or whether our emotions control us. Hence, whether an emotion undermines or enhances reasoning as a way of knowing is debatable, but I believe that it un dermines reasoning more that it enhances it. There are two theories of emotion that oppose each other: The James-Lange theory, and Schatchers Cognitive theory3. The first theory, the James-Lange theory, states that for an emotion, the body must first respond, and then one feels the emotion4. The two men who came up with this theory claimed that when we see a snake, our bodies first respond, we run and only then do we feel an emotion because the body has been aroused. They arrived at this theory because they believed that just thinking about or seeing a snake has no real effect until after the body has responded. Hence the physical feelings are the emotions. James argued that the feel of an emotion which, for him, equals the emotion itself is only the perception of danger without the actual feeling of fear5. Due to the fact that the emotion is produced without cognitive reasoning but physiological responses, we can conclude that emotion can exist purely on its own without reason, hence undermining it. The second theory, the Cannon-Bard theory, states that the bodily reaction and the emotional response to an event occur at the same time6. This theory came about after the discovery of the thalamus as a physical unit of the brain that can instantly transmit messages. The theory claimed that when an emergency is perceived, both the bodily reaction and the emotional system respond at the same time. Since we react by instinct, reasoning is not enhanced by emotion for there is no time for the mind to rationalize. Both of these theories claim that emotions are immediate reflex responses to situations without the conscious cognitive interpretation of the emotional context. Here, emotion stands opposed to reason, since we have already established reason to be any kind of cognitive activity. Perception of Women in the Renaissance EssayCognition is closely involved with the emotions we feel. When a certain group of people are led to believe that they will experience pain in an experiment, they will be more anxious than members of another group who are told they will be unharmed. When the first group receives a minor shock, they will overestimate how painful it really is because they expect and believe that they will be hurt. This shows that the mind plays a crucial part in a persons emotion. Physiological arousal and an awareness and interpretation of ones situation are both imperative to emotion. Without any symbolic thought processes, no physiological disturbance will occur and be labelled an emotion12. For example, meeting someone with a sharp knife in a dark alley at the stroke of midnight may cause physiological responses such as an increased heart rate and perspiration. However, it is only through the cognitive interpretation of the situations implications that one experiences fear itself. This enhances reasoning, as one must know that a knife can kill and a man loitering in a dark alley at midnight can harm someone in order to feel the emotion of fear. Although emotions are sometimes shown to involve cognition, most of time, they cloud our minds and block us from thinking rationally. As seen in Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet, Romeos spleen at that very moment causes him to lose control of his own actions. The soldiers patriotism causes him to fight till the end for his country and his people. Reasoning only comes to play a part when we use our minds to label what we are feeling and why we feel that way based on past experiences. Hence, our actions, done mostly in the heat of the moment, do not show any rationalization or formal logic until after it is carried out. This shows that emotions undermine reasoning more often than it enhances it.