Wannamaker Summary - Chapter 5

Chapter Summary Of The Philosophy Of Freedom
Olin D. Wannamaker

Chapter 5 The Act Of Cognizing The World
In chapter 5 we further probe into the essential question, the nature of the perception, and we examine critically the whole process of cognition --of knowing. In particular, we study the relationship between the perception and the concept.

To the uncritical näive person, as we have said, the concept is a mere reflection of the perception, which to him is a real thing, wholly independent of himself. To the modern critical scientist, the opposite is true; the perception itself is merely subjective; to him, therefore, the concept --since it is linked by thinking with the perception-- can give no objective knowledge, but only knowledge of something subjective. Both these contrasting conceptions can be shown to be unfounded. The uncritical view is false, since the perception is a mere sense impression, conveying no knowledge whatever till thinking completes it and gives it meaning by bringing into consciousness the corresponding concept. The critical view is unfounded for the reason that it is a mere dogmatic assertion. The critical scientist has no knowledge whatever as to what causes the perception to arise in the mind. Nor does he know what it is before we perceive it.

The fact that the act of cognizing occurs in two steps instead of one is due wholly to the nature of human consciousness. A different order of consciousness might perceive and conceive in a single act. But the human being is a twofold being: he is a limited self, of which he has a mere perception in self-consciousness; but he is also the bearer of a universal power from a higher sphere that makes him one with the universe. To think truly about the problem of knowledge, we must know ourselves and our relationship with other entities. We must also not only locate the perception within the self, as we have done, but also determine what its nature is. Let us seek to do these two necessary things. What is the nature of the individual and what is his relationship to the perception?

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