Fundamentals of Human Understanding

By Aaron Kreinbrook

This work addresses the nature of human understanding as a central and pervasive aspect of the human condition.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Sep 15, 2018
• ISBN: 9781543938685

Aaron Kreinbrook

Aaron Kreinbrook is an artist proficient with various media who has a concern for understanding, organizing, and presenting the beauty of truth. Aaron's pursuit of truth through artistic representation is meant not only as a means to an end, but also as an end in itself. The art which Aaron produces is always intended for his personal development and enjoyment along with that of anyone receptive to his work.

Book preview

Impetus

Introduction

It seems to be a matter of course for one to ask questions concerning the nature of one’s human condition. In an effort to answer such inquiries, this book addresses a central and pervasive aspect of the human condition commonly known as understanding. Concise and distilled information is offered about the subject, which may serve as a foundation for the consideration of other related issues. Features of human understanding are revealed through language in a manner similar to graphic representational art, which showcases something as it appears to be, including that which is taken for granted. Although many questions are confronted herein, there are many other related questions which remain unanswered.

The fundamentals of human understanding are presented in the form of a dialogue between two fictitious people that are identified as Teacher and Student. Although these character names are suggestive of specific hierarchical roles, descriptive information about them has been minimized deliberately throughout the text. This lack of character identification and contextualization allows the reader to focus more on the content of the dialogue while providing an increased opportunity to personalize each character according to preference. Additionally, the dialogue format enables the reader to more easily objectify and evaluate the subject matter, as compared to a first-person presentation which engages the reader more directly and invasively in conversation. While there is some entertainment value inherent to the dialogue, it is intended to function more as a means of conveying information and to represent a process of conscious thought.

I.

Overview

Student: What is the nature of human understanding?

Teacher: I do not wish to pretend that I possess complete knowledge concerning this matter. It is risky for me to speak with certainty about human understanding because, as I continue to expand my knowledge of the subject, it is possible for me to discover that what I know now is entirely or partially inaccurate. Nevertheless, I am willing to share with you what I believe I have learned if you are receptive.

Student: I am receptive to learn what you know about human understanding. Thank you for entertaining my question.

Teacher: Very well. Allow me to begin by providing an overview of the subject. I will be happy to entertain any questions that you might have along the way, and to explore anything that I mention in greater detail to the extent that I am capable.

Student: Excellent. Proceed.

Teacher: Human understanding may be defined as an awareness of a relationship, consisting of two or more particulars, that is considered to be the case, and which arises through the human faculties of mind.

Student: "What is the role of the relationship with respect to human understanding?"

Teacher: "Each relationship that one is aware of when one understands may be considered as a this, what, or something, so to speak, which serves as the object of understanding. The process and ultimate experience of understanding always involves someone and concerns something as the object of understanding. With your inquiry, for example, you seek to understand something, which happens to be the nature of understanding itself."

Student: "I assume that the relationships, which serve as the objects of one’s understanding, need to be true, or consistent with reality, in order for one to be considered to have understanding at all. Is this correct?"

Teacher: "That which is understood may be counted as true only when it is accurate with respect to that which is the case. Otherwise, what is understood is subjective, myopic, and, to some extent, inconsistent with that which is the case. Though it is possible for one to understand something that is inconsistent with reality, this form of understanding is not proper."

Student: That seems reasonable.

Teacher: "It is important to recognize that whether or not one’s understanding is accurate, one must always assent, and subordinate, oneself to what one understands, as it would be absurd for one to disagree with, and challenge, that which one understands to be the case."

Student: I can’t argue with that.

Teacher: "I would also like to point out that there are at least two primary faculties of the mind through which understanding may occur. These faculties consist of 1) the capacity to become aware of the unqualified existence of things and 2) the ability to form rational conclusions about the things that are considered to exist. Let us refer to the former as the ‘faculty of awareness’, and the latter as the ‘faculty of reason’. Each of these faculties appear to operate by means of other supporting faculties of mind.

It should be acknowledged that memory is a significant supporting faculty of the mind by which the content of one’s understanding may be retained and recalled. Another significant supporting faculty of mind, which works closely with the faculty of memory, is the capacity to compare particulars and determine whether or not, and to what extent, they match."

Student: "What is the relationship between knowledge and human understanding?"

Teacher: "We might consider knowledge to be the retention of accurate information that has been understood to be the case. Note that understanding is cumulative to the extent that knowledge may be retained. Moreover, we may observe that some degree of knowledge always precedes understanding. Specific information must be known prior to the understanding of that which is unknown. One cannot begin to understand what one is not aware of. I gather from your inquiry that you already know something about human understanding, even though you have asked about it as if you know nothing. If you did not have some prior knowledge of what it means to understand, you would not have been able to apply the term in a meaningful way. Therefore, it seems to me that you are seeking to further understand human understanding."

Student: I suppose that I do possess a degree of knowledge concerning human understanding, yet there seems to be some basic information that I am lacking. Please continue, as I am eager to learn more of what you know about the matter.

Teacher: "Very well. Another observation that we can make about understanding is that it occurs continuously. Although one’s understanding of particular matters may be lacking or entirely absent, it appears that there is never a moment in one’s life when one is without understanding, in general."

Student: How is that possible?

Teacher: "Understanding serves as the framework of every human experience. As such, it necessarily participates in every human experience; understanding is ubiquitous. While it is possible for someone to not understand anything about something in particular, it is impossible for someone to not understand anything at all. One who claims, ‘I don’t understand anything’ is effectively saying ‘I understand that I don’t understand anything’ which is an absurdity that negates itself."

Student: Some degree of understanding does appear to be happening everywhere and at all times in my experience.

Teacher: "Keep in mind that experiences of understanding are varied due to the uniqueness of the particulars involved. Nevertheless, experiences of understanding are also similar due to the repeated engagement of specific sets of functional processes and perspectives related to the faculties of mind."

Student: Interesting.

Teacher: "It is also easily observed that understanding occurs spontaneously. A conscious experience of understanding happens when one least expects it to happen. This experience is exemplified and expressed through exclamations of surprise, as when something previously hidden is revealed."

Student: Ah, yes! You’re right about that!

Teacher: "Finally, one may observe that understanding happens involuntarily. Although one cannot cause understanding to arise, one can apply methods which may guide or point the way to understanding, as you are attempting to do by seeking my help. Once understanding of any kind has been obtained, it may be employed with intention to serve a variety of purposes."

Student: "Would you say that the acquisition and application of knowledge toward some intended objective counts as wisdom?"

Teacher: