When talking of knowing through perception and reasoning the examples of Copernicus’ theory of heliocentric cosmology and almost every child’s theory about the existence of Father Christmas or Santa Claus seem appropriate to quote.
Nicolaus Copernicus was the first European astronomer to formulate and publish a scientifically based theory of heliocentric cosmology. This theory stated that the sun was at the centre of the solar system and the planets orbit around it. Though he was able to assemble all his data and discoveries in a book, he had to delay the publishing due to fear. Though historians hypothesized that he was afraid of criticism, it is popular belief that he actually delayed the publishing of his book due to conflicts with the church as they preached that the earth was the centre because it was where god’s creations lived. This fear made him hide his belief in his theory. He prepared his theory by observation of the movement of the stars and noticing an unusual pattern. This was knowledge by perception. Then by studying all the data he prepared his theory. This was knowledge by reasoning. Finally he hid his faith in his theory due to fear. This would be the loss of knowledge by emotion.
Almost every person, in his or her childhood, believes that Father Christmas or Santa Claus comes every year on Christmas Eve and gives gifts to these children who have been good all through the year. From the beginning of their childhood, the parents motivate their children to be a good person by reminding them that only good children get gifts on Christmas. This convinces the children that Santa would give them what they want. Every year the children remain good and they get their gifts. This repeated occurrence further assures their belief in Father Christmas. This is knowledge through perception. The fear that they may not get a gift one year forces the child to be good all through the year. This fear again enforces their belief to the extent where it becomes knowledge. This is knowledge by emotion. At some point of time, the child either catches his or her parents as they fool their child or in some other method deduce the non-existence of Father Christmas. This is knowledge by reasoning.
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Thank you for this, Ramya. You are clearly right that REASONING played an important part in Copernicus' theory, but I think you ought to give more weight to PERCEPTION in Copernicus' theory. It was the observation of the awkward facts of the movement of the planets that undermined an otherwise COHERENT theory (of Ptolemy) which was supported by a vast weight of authoritative LANGUAGE of nearly all the thinkers in one and a half millenia who believed that the geocentris theory CORRESPONDED with reality.
Your biographical details seem a bit confused. The threat of torture which you mention seems to be a reference to the threats offered to Galileo rather than Copernicus.
This may be partly my fault: I pointed out the embarrassment which a heliocentric theory created for the papal authorities, but Copernicus seems to have been more afraid about how they MIGHT respond rather than about how they actually WERE responding. By the time they DID respond in this way (by putting his book on the Index, for example) he was safely dead.
The father Christmas issue is a miniature of the geocentric one. All authority, and perceptions, support the FC theory, which is therefore COHERENT and CORRESPONDS with reality. More accurate observation reveals facts which undermine the idea, and reason completes the job. Many people have to undergo this mini-Copernican experience on the way to a better synthesis of knowledge.
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