link: truth

                 KNOWLEDGE OF REALITY OR 'TRUTH': A FUNCTION OF WHOLISTIC

                                           PERCEPTION  AND  COMPLETE COGNITION

 "The making of truth in the interpersonal relation: The picture of truth and of reality that we have inherited from the classical science of the impersonal is that it is 'out there' perfect, complete, hidden but uncoverable. In the earlier versions the observer simply observed. In later versions it was understood that the observer had spectacles that distorted but which could never be removed. Most recently physicists and psychologists have learned that the act of observation is itself a shaper, a changer, an intruder into the phenomenon being observed. In a word, the observer partly creates the reality, i.e. the truth. Reality seems to be a kind of alloy of the perceiver and the perceived, a sort of mutual product, a transaction. For instance, see the many researches with reafference and with the effects of observer-expectation, to mention only two well-known lines of experimentation. I mean here more than the 'personal equation;' of the astronomer or even Heisenberg's principle of indeterminacy. I refer rather to the impossibility of finding out what, for example, a preliterate culture would 'really' be like, undistorted by the observing ethnologist." (Maslow, A. The Psychology of Science: A Reconaissance. New York and London: Harper and Row, 1966. page 110)

TRADITIONAL PARADIGM... CLASSICAL OR ORTHODOX SCIENCE In the seventeenth century the paradigm of classical science was based on the assumption that the mental and physical realms of existence are completely separate. In this paradigm the picture of truth was that it is out there –perfect, complete and hidden but unobtainable. It was the Church and the State who determined a priori what the truth should be.  This changed with the Scientific Revolution when astronomers and physicists (Newton) asserted their freedom to make observations and then determine for themselves what really was the 'truth'. The so-called ‘scientific method’ was devised as a rational method of analysing observations  and forming conclusions.

NOTION OF 'SCIENTIFIC OBJECTIVITY': THOUGHT TO BE ENEMY OF TRUE PERCEPTION In the paradigm of classical science emotions are thought to be the enemy of ‘true’ perception and good judgment. The emotions are thought to be exclusive of truth and therefore detrimental to wisdom. The concept of ‘scientific objectivity’ which was connected with physics-centred theory in time distorted perception when applied to human affairs but for a long time it has been difficult to change that. Scientific objectivity implies an impersonal 'value-free science' and can be successfully applied in the study of objects which are not related to human aspirations and motivations. Feeling uninvolved, detached and neutral is possible with the study of rocks, heat, electrical currents etc. but the factor of human motivation cannot be ignored in the study of social sciences. The uncritical application of the concept of scientific objectivity as the old and widely held notion… generalisation that emotions only disrupt ‘true’ perception and good judgement … can only have a crippling effect if applied to human sciences. The study of education and educational theory depends on the humanistic approach to science.      

 "Truth is central to science" (Bronowski, Ascent of Man 56)

Science is the human process of truth-finding and involves the functions of emotion and cognition operating together (science definition). Emotion is synergic with cognition. It is the  knowledge of truth which is of survival value to the human organism. As a biological social organism, the human individual depends for survival on comprehension of the realities of both the physical environment and the social environment. The human organism has an instinctive interest in understanding the realities of the environment. In its instinctive dependence on an intense  interest in reality, the human organism is affected and stimulated emotionally as well as intellectually. Combining both intellectual and emotional powers, the organism instinctively attempts to comprehend the world... this is the curiosity which is rooted in the instinct of preservation i.e. 'intrinsic motivation'. Intrinsic motivation involves perception of a reality as an interconnecting unity …a totality. Intrinsically motivated perception is 'holistic' and the holistic perception of reality is 'truth'.

TRUTH IS REALITY Truth is reality. The truth provide view of reality, a worldview or  'paradigm'. The paradigm is like a map for negotiating the terrain of life. If the map is accurate and ‘true’, one knows where one is one knows where one wants to go, and one generally knows how to get there. If the map is inaccurate and false, one is probably lost. The validity of the map of reality depends on one’s ability for critical thought. Total dedication to reality means a willingness to challenge one’s own perceptions as well as those of others. The more willing one is to accept the challenge, the more clearly one sees the reality of the world. The more clearly one sees the world, the better equipped one is to deal with it. The less clearly one sees the world, the more befuddled the mind becomes by falsehood, misperceptions, and illusions and the less able one is to deal with it... the less able one is to distinguish between what is true and what is not 'true' and to determine correct courses of action and make wise decisions. The ability to distinguish between 'truth' and 'untruth' depends on whether cognition is 'complete' or 'incomplete'.

Completeness of cognition is a function of awareness or 'consciousness'.

Whether cognition is complete or incomplete depends on whether or not one  is aware or 'critically conscious'. Critical consciousness is a function of integration of the personality. Complete personality  integration is the  basis for complete cognition.

TRANSFERENCE AND INCOMPLETE COGNITION AND 'UNTRUTH' The personality is not fully integrated when the individual actively clings to an outmoded view of reality developed in childhood and inappropriately transferred into adulthood i.e. 'transference'. Transference results in incomplete cognition. Cognition is incomplete when the individual sees the surface features of environmental phenomena but is unable to penetrate below the surface to the essentials... the individual is unable to visualize what is not yet apparent..; the individual recognizes things as they appear to be and perceives reality as the sum total of what has already materialized. (The incomplete cognition appears to result from the lack of wholeness in the conditioning influences of the social environment.) Incomplete cognition is seeing the details but not the whole, seeing the trees but not the forest. The individual who is unable to enliven perception from within combines the known factors which are already in existence and infers  their operation in the future by calculating with the imagination.

 The product of incomplete cognition is 'untruth'. 

"A mature truth told to immature minds ceases, in those minds, to be that same mature truth. Immature minds take from it only what immature minds can assimilate.In the end, even though they may give it li-service and may raise institutions  in its name, they turn the mature truth into an applied immaturity. Thius fate of psychological depreciation has been the fate  of all our greatest human truths. Uttered by mature minds, and for the puprose of maturing minds, they have been received , for the mostnpart , by less mature minds - and have thus been only partially comprehended . Being jonly partially comprehended , they ave found expression in ways that have perpetuated  as much misunderstanding as understanding , as much error as truth. (Overstreet, H.A. The Mature Mind. New York: W.W. Norton & Cio. Inc. 1949. 88)
 

Throughout human history, great insights are degraded by minds too immature to understand them and put them into mature practice. One obvious examplple is the universal degradation  of the idea of One God as the source of truth rather than a multiplicity of gods leading to confusion. The concept of God  was degenerated into a mystery beyond man's comprehension.

TRUTH IS AN ALLOY OF THE PERCEIVED WITH THE PERCEIVER Truth as reality is like an alloy. Truth is a mutual product, a transaction between perceiver and perceived. The observer partly creates the reality or 'truth'. It is the observer's unconscious motivational forces which operate in the perception of reality. With observer expectation, the act of observation itself shapes, changes, intrudes into the condition of 'being observed'. Dedication to the truth is dedication to the complete cognition of reality. Complete cognition results from integration of personality ...from leading a life of total honesty with total freedom just to 'be', living in the open. Openness is a source of illumination and clarification involving the use of language which reflects the cognitive processes or 'thinking'. Thinking is externalised and truth is made in the interpersonal relation - in the critical discourse of dialogue. The function of dialogue is to examine how accurately one's perception of reality reflects the true reality or truth. Exercising one's courage to communicate with others - to live in the open - frees one from fear. Openness and freedom are the conditions for personal spiritual growth. Growth of the human spirit means giving up the self i.e. the 'ego' ...establishing and maintaining meaningful relationships, loving at the level of Being ... enjoying actualisation in itself... seeing it as it is... not prone to judgement, exploitation, desire, for improvement, or in any other way projecting one's own values onto the other ... not wanting to interfere with the actualisation and freedom of others, means more concrete experiencing and witnessing... less dissecting, abstracting, simplifying, organizing, and manipulating. Leaving it alone to be itself also implies a holistic, global attitude. This is complete cognition or 'being-cognition' and 'being-love'. From being-cognition and being-love comes freedom from fear. Freedom from fear facilitates the capacity for knowing what one is and is not responsible for... for taking complete responsibility for oneself. With freedom from fear comes joy of life. The meaning of life - provided by death - is  overcoming the fear of death and uniting in a spirit of fellowship or 'love'. This is the central wisdom of spiritual evolution... of religion.

Spiritual evolution to a life of higher consciousness means more suffering but more joy.

 The spiritually evolved person is an extraordinarily loving person who is competent in the service of others. With great power... they suffer dreadfully. Discipline is the means of human spiritual evolution... the force behind discipline is love and the capacity to exercise attention by listening. A major and essential task in the process of one's spiritual development is the continuous work of bringing one's conscious self-concept into progressively greater congruence with reality i.e. 'being cognition'.

FUNCTION OF CONTEMPLATION OR 'MEDITATION'  Being-cognition requires constant self-examination and contemplation or 'meditation'. Meditation is essential for finding the 'truth' upon which ultimate survival depends. The truth-finding process in the paradigm of holistic science is based on the assumption that everything experienced -both physical and mental- is part of an interconnecting unity.

 This is the unitary approach of  the science of interconnectedness or wholeness i.e. 'holistic science'.

In the unitary view of holistic science, reductionist causes appear to describe why things  behave the way they do only when part of the whole can be sufficiently isolated from the rest that it appears unconnected. From the holistic perspective there are two ways to connect with reality. One is through physical sense data - the objective aspect of the truth-finding process which is the basis of classical science... orthodox science or 'scientism'; the other is through the deep intuitive 'inner knowing' of observer participation - the subjective aspect of the truth-finding process i.e. contemplation or 'meditation'.

IMPLICATIONS FOR EDUCATION: Holistic education is education for personality integration,  spiritual development,  holistic  perception and complete cognition required for successful adaptation to the truth of changing reality i.e.'adaptability'.

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 "Science and knowledge are not a finished enterprise... science is essentially a self-correcting activity... scientists are people who correct the picture of the moment with another one as a natural evolution toward a 'true' picture of the world". (Bronowski, J. Imagination. 122)

theme: The human capacity for learning is a result of thousands of years of evolutionary process. As a product of human evolution, the learning process is based on the need to acquire information and knowledge of reality or 'truth'.

  The search for truth requires independence of mind which safeguards originality - the tool with which new discoveries are made. Independence of mind and originality must be allowed expression and thus 'dissent' must be valued. "The high moments of dissent are monuments in our literature: the writings of Milton, the Declaration of Independence, the sermons of John Wesley and the poetry of Shelley. (Bronowski Ascent of Man 58

"Truth is not that which is demonstrable; truth is that which is ineluctable." Antoine St. Exupery

"The meaning of all religious practice: the individual, through prolonged psychological disciplines, gives up completely all attachment to his personal limitations, idiosyncracies, hopes and fears, no longer resists the self-annihilation that is preqrequisite to rebirth in the realization of truth, and so becomes ripe at last for the great at-one-ment. His personal ambitions being totally dissolved, he no longer tries to live, but willingly relaxes to whatever may come to pass in him; he becomes that is to say, an anonymity." (Campbell The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press 1972 236

theme: Knowledge of reality or 'truth' is a product of holistic perception and complete cognition.

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