Human beings are not aware of their assumptions and basic...
Theory of Knowledge Essay 2
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"Human beings are not aware of their assumptions and basic beliefs, much as fish are unaware of the water in which they live." Discuss[/i:a329a8c37f]
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.
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...