In today’s episode, you’ll hear from two scientists as they discuss the topic of knowledge. Is scientific knowledge the only true form of knowledge? Or are there other equally valid ways of knowing?
You’ll hear from Praveen Sethupathy, professor of physiological genomics at Cornell, and David Rudge, professor of biological sciences at Western Michigan. Praveen and David discuss other forms of knowledge outside of science, how certainty is often misunderstood, and the role of faith in a curious life.
This forum was held at Western Michigan University in February 2023 and was moderated by Western Michigan philosophy professor Tim McGrew. Thank you to the forum planning team at Western Michigan for making this event possible.
At some point I had to take a leap of faith ... I got to a point where [Christianity] was the best explanatory model. It's not unlike C. S. Lewis who said, "I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else." ... I was using a very scientific process to get me to a certain point and then realized that experiential knowledge had to kick in.
Knowledge isn't something you just gain, and then you're done with, and you move on. It's a constant refining; it's a journey, which again puts it more into relational terms.
In the pursuit of knowledge, there is being inquisitive, asking questions, intellectual curiosity, and gaining information. But, at the same time, at some point, there's also a call to take a risk to commit. That risk to commit is not so that you can say you're 100% sure but because that's really where life happens.
There are different kinds of knowledge. Many cultures and peoples have recognized this, and you see that in the ways that their languages have developed and evolved. Broadly, there's propositional knowledge, which means observable facts, and experiential knowledge, which comes from experiencing something.
Engage opening and honestly, and test everything. Demonstrate a humble spirit, a willingness to say, "I may not have every piece of everything here because some of what I believe — however beautiful it is and however fast I'm holding to it — may be colored by my experiences, my biases, or the finiteness of my body and mind in space."
