mercoledì 14 gennaio 2009

Emotion as a way of knowing?

Is emotion a way of knowing or an obstacle of knowing?

As I'm doing TOK more and more, I've understood that there are no black-or-white answer in life, especially over the problem of knowledge. 
Emotion can be either a way of knowing or an obstacle, depending on the situation you're in.
An example of emotion as a way of knowing can be the instinctive reaction of running/stepping back when we cross the street and we see a car coming. On the other hand, emotion can be an obstacle when, for example, we are so biased by a passion (not only for a person, it can also be for an idea) that we can't see the bad aspects of that. 
Nevermind the situation, emotion does strongly relates to the other three ways of knowing: with language, because through language we describe our emotions and, in the other way round, emotions can often affect the way we talk or write; with perception, because the two things often work together, like when you eat something that you find disgusting and you don't want to eat anymore; with reason, because, sometimes, only in the balanced of the two the wisest decision are made.
Besides, it is clearly a way for someone to know himself: is through emotion that we understand our tastes or your desires. I decided where I mostly want to apply at university when, reading about the PPE course index, an indescribable feeling made me understood that was something I really really liked. Another example is when you like someone: sometimes you don't get "butterflies in your stomach", sometimes you get a smile on your face when you see that person. THEN you know you like him/her.
In conclusion, although it's hard to describe emotions, I believe they are a very important way of knowing. I can't really explain why, it's just a feeling :)

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