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Robin Zeller Period 7 2/4/08 “We see and understand things not as they are but as we are” Discuss and evaluate this claim in relation to two ways of knowing. The statement above is valid when looked at through the lens of human perception. I agree with the quote above to the extent that it states that our view of the world is defined by facts that we obtain from sensory perception. Sensory perception gives us knowledge of the world on an individual level, however this knowledge is limited by shortcomings of our own perception and our ability to filter data, allowing us to question what we really know about the world. As humans, every piece of knowledge we obtain is processed though one of our senses. This inherent value is coupled with the ability of the stimuli in our brain which filters sensory data. “Our eyes and brains coordinate how objects look at different distances, from different directions, and under different light, and show us an object to which we attribute a constant size, shape and color.”1 In the area of science the ability to filter allows scientists to focus on a particular aspect. If our brains were constantly bombarded with all the data collected by our eyes, ears, and nerves, it would be impossible to focus on one element. An example of this is if a scientist was studying a species of plant in a rainforest, he would be unable to study solely that plant if his brain didn’t filter out the irrelevant data. The same elements in the brain that interpret and filter data also allow lapses in detail. From experience our brains fill in blanks about things we don’t know. For instance, although I can only see the front two-thirds of a soda can in front of me, but I know that the can has a back and a bottom from experience. Although this simplifies things in our brain it also is limiting because it requires us to rely on our senses. The limiting variable of our senses is that we cannot trust them. Just like the phrase “your eyes are playing tricks on you”, any one of our senses can fool us. An example of this was when some astronomers claimed to see the nonexistent planet Vulcan before its existence was confirmed. They claimed they saw the planet because they believed that it was there. Because our senses can play tricks on us, perception is just as limited as it is an advantage. In conclusion, there are limitations to perception, but the values outweigh them. As humans we cannot help but use our senses to perceive the world around us. Without this we would be no more physiologically active than a rock. Our senses gather knowledge of the world around us. With this knowledge we define who we are. Cole, K.C. First you Build A Cloud and Other Reflections on Physics as a Way of Life. Harcourt Brace and Company, 1999 Biblography Cole, K.C. First you Build A Cloud and Other Reflections on Physics as a Way of Life. : . Harcourt Brace and Company, 1999. Abel , Rueben. Man is the Measure: A Cordial Invitation to the Central Problems of Philosophy. New York: The Free Press, 1975.