Stages of Cognition
By Dr Ghayur Ayub
London, UK
There is a step-wise linkage between information, knowledge, understanding, opinion, belief, reality, truth and wisdom, which goes like this:
Knowledge received from others is stored in our memory as ‘Information’. When we reflect it as such in our conversation or in writing we are actually providing information, not knowledge. But when it is analytically blended with the information already stored in our memory, it is converted into our Knowledge. In this way we store information on one hand and knowledge on the other.
One needs an optimum capacity in memory to store or retrieve the two. Secondly, we should distinguish whether we are projecting information or knowledge in our discussion. Most of the times, in our daily conversations or writings, we project information, knowledge, or both, without distinguishing one from the other. Projection of information means a good memory and projection of knowledge means a good analytic mind. Either way, if it is done for the good of others it is honorable, otherwise it is boastful and egoistic.
We find this especially true with the custodians of religion. They stand on a podium and give sermons to congregations, narrating stories which are nothing but information. To make it more appealing, they use the Arabic language which most of the congregations don’t understand. And to add spice to it, they start repeating it rhythmically. This practice takes us back in history when religions were evolving and the magicians were jumping in the arena to counter the theologians with their skillful acting and excellent oration. For them, religion was acting and for the theologians it was reality.
Coming back to the present time, the religious custodians act like magicians and impress the congregations through excellent acting and commanding oration. And the vast majority does get impressed. At the end of the discourses, they walk away shaking their heads with admiration as to how knowledgeable the speaker was; not knowing that all he did was to narrate what he had heard or read. That’s how society is brain-washed randomly by distorting the fine line between information and knowledge.
It becomes gloomier when pertinent but seemingly penetrating questions are asked of such speakers. They get irritated. We have seen it on TV talk shows. Reason? The answers require knowledge and they only have information. To make it worse, most of them carry heavy egos on their shoulders. So instead of satisfying the enquirers, they shut them up with insulting remarks ,and warn them that they (the questioners) are transgressing religious etiquette ignoring the fact that they themselves overstep social manners.
That's how information gives birth to knowledge and the two are tuned in our daily life. Does the process stop there? Not really, because the inquisitive human mind wants to explore more. Things get muddy when knowledge starts moving forward on the path of erudition and comes across the indigenous reasoning, turning knowledge into Understanding. But reasoning has an intimate linkage with its step sister - doubt. So, the doubt begins countering reasoning which gives understanding a philosophical color. Philosophy which rides on logic is nothing but a combat zone between doubt and reasoning. It is an unending battle as doubt keeps appearing in different shapes after being defeated by reason. It is like peeling off an onion. As we peel one layer, the next layer appears and the process goes on and on. No wonder, some people call philosophy as open-ended or unending knowledge. During the battle between doubt and reasoning, when reasoning wins, even if it is for a short time, it converts understanding into Opinion.
A strange thing happens at this stage. While the battle continues between doubt and reasoning, in which reasoning gets sturdier and doubt becomes punier, the opinionated knowledge makes the person 'big-headed’. He becomes arrogant, looks down upon others and considers himself superior in erudition. We see this approach with most of the scholars. This state continues until doubt is knocked down to the ground turning opinion into Belief. A believer tries to mallow down, shedding his arrogance and dumping his sense of grandeur, through a process of self-evaluation. As self-evaluation is difficult, chances are that he might slide back and become opinionated. And that’s where the role of a mentor comes into play. It is an important role as the mentor evaluates him on his behavioral approach. In doing so, the guide helps him change his reasoning into ‘will’ through repeated practices. In this way, ‘will’ takes over the dominant role of ‘reasoning’, making ‘doubt’ disappear completely and setting aside the power of logic. Such ‘will’ is different from the ‘free will’ we talk about in ordinary lingo. This ‘will’ is also called ‘power in completeness’ and is bracketed with love. Some people consider it as ‘consciousness’ stating that when in action it is ‘will’, but when stationary, it is ‘consciousness’. Either way, it is intrinsically linked with love. It is like the relationship a ‘particle’ has with ‘wave’ in quantum mechanics.
At the end of evaluation wherein the guide induces behavioral changes into his psyche by shunning his doubts, setting aside his logic, strengthening his ‘will,’ and filling him with love, the role of his mentor comes to an end. This is the turning point as from hereon, the power of ‘will’ filled with love pushes him forward. That power keeps showering belief with spontaneous reality giving him inner awareness. The inner awareness, in return, opens windows wherein he learns how to conquer intuition, encompass inspiration, and envision revelation. The trio, one by one become the key factor in attaining the milestone and reach the last stage of Truth and Wisdom. This wisdom should not be confused or equated with the wisdom we talk about in a normal philosophical sense. It’s beyond logic and is perceived through intuition, inspiration and revelation. In the Qur’anic interpretation, the revelation is termed as Amr-e-Illahi or Divine Command. Sufis call it reaching the stage of Walaya or Union.
To put it in mathematical equations, the whole process from information to wisdom turns out as follows:
1. External Knowledge = Internal Information.
2. Internal Information +Internal Synthesis = Internal Knowledge.
3. Internal Knowledge + Discerning = Understanding.
4. Understanding + Reasoning = Opinion
5. Opinion - Doubt = Belief
6. Belief + Reality= Truth
7. Truth = Wisdom
Back to Pakistanlink Homepage
