Insight and the Possibility of Knowledge:A study of Bernard Lonergan's Cognitional Theory

• Main Authors: Wen- Hsiang Chen, 陳文祥
• Other Authors: 柏殿宏
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2005
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/09488376224457749014

博士 === 輔仁大學 === 哲學研究所 === 93 === Epistemological issues are receiving more and more attention in contemporary philosophy. In this academic field, Bernard Lonergan (1904-1984) is one of the most influential figures, especially from the viewpoint of twentieth-century neo-scholasticism. The object of this study is to describe and analyze two central notions of his cognitional theory: insight and knowledge. A further goal is to demonstrate that both insight and knowledge in human knowing truly exist. In order to better understand and investigate clearly, this study is divided into two parts: (1) “the pivotal role of insight” and (2)“the possibility of knowledge”. The first part focuses on the nature of Insight and includes the following. 1) Concrete examples are given of the performance of the “act of understanding” in human knowing. 2) The thesis moves the “fact” of insight to a reflection on the structure of knowing and finally a demonstration of the pivotal role of insight. 3) Scientific discovery is considered as a particular instance from which to work out the “heuristic structure” of knowing, that is one of the essential viewpoints in part І. The second part involves following. 1) It begins with a discussion of “consciousness” which is concomitant with the knowing process. The purpose is to confirm Lonergan’s theory. 2) Next there is an investigation of the judgment of “self-affirmation as a knower”, this affirmation is a “break-through” in the epistemology of Lonergan. 3) The relationship between being and objectivity is explored, this is a central step in the study of realism as a whole. 4) The end of part II considers certain metaphysical elements from horizon of knowing as well as the world of meaning, which guarantees the authenticity of the human mind. This study shows that the notion of insight is a significant factor in our knowing process and that insight belongs to every concrete, individual person. Thus the improvement of knowledge must be attended to by every single woman（man）.