Ontology & Epistemology

JOURNAL #TWO [RES701]

Truth, Ontology & Epistemology

Truth and Facts - Class Discussion

Class sessions looked at the following questions surrounding truth and fact:

• Is there a difference between ‘knowing’ something and ‘having knowledge’ of something?
• What is ‘truth’?
• What do we really mean when we say something is ‘true’?
• Is there a difference between knowing something is ‘true’ and believing that something is ‘true’?
• What is the difference between subjective and objective ‘truth’?
• What is a ‘fact’ and can ‘facts’ change ?
• How do we discover if something is ‘true’ or not?
• “We do not see things as they are but as we are” (Anais Nin). What does this mean?
• “Reality is an illusion, albeit a very persistent one” (Einstein) What does this mean?
• Is there a difference between ‘true’ and ‘valid’?

I’ve had a bit of time to think about these questions since class, and think about some of the other perspectives from the discussions.

I find myself uncomfortable with the term ‘truth’ as in a world of ‘Trumpism’ ‘truth’ has become so subjective as to have almost no meaning. In my mind truth comes in two forms:

1. A truth that is known because it is an observable fact, evidence that has been studied, peer reviewed and a consensus reached based on the study.
2. A truth that is known because of personal belief in something. I find this form of truth to be deeply unpleasant and dangerous. There is every chance that this type of ‘truth’ is masquerading as an untruth.

The former of the two truths is objective, reasoned and considered. On the other hand the latter truth, based on a belief, negates the need for evidence. In fact it often ignores evidence completely which I can only describe as willful ignorance and a complete waste.

I am not criticizing the ignorance of people, I too am ignorant of a great many things. Humanity has taken taken many leaps, put in immense hard work, made many sacrifices, endured strive and persecution to understand the world around us - to then ignore the knowledge gained in an effort to retain a ‘truth’ based on belief is an insult to all those that have sought that knowledge, knowledge which has ultimately led to the improving of the human condition more then anything else in our history.

It’s probably obvious by now that I prefer to deal with facts, not just for the reasons mentioned, but because they are so wonderfully elegant and beautiful. For example take Darwinism vs. Creationism, a universe from nothing vs. a supernatural dictator, being made up from the remanence of exploding stars vs being made in ‘God’s’ image - there’s no contest in my mind.

Truth can be played with, tweaked and argued depending on perspective. A fact shouldn’t be subjected to the same nonsense. I, for example, do not ‘believe’ in Darwinism, it does not need my ‘believe’ to be a fact. It is fact based on the overwhelming evidence in DNA, in the rocks and fossils.

The same can be applied to the age of the universe and the planet earth, we know them to be around 13.7 billion years old and 4.5 billion years old respectively, not because there is one observable test, but because there are several observations that can be made and they all draw the same conclusion.

It’s important to note that should the facts change, and for example the observable evidence points to a supernatural dictator having created the universe, I would not be happy about it - but I would accept the evidence.

I think this is probably a good time to look at this weeks blog questions:

What is ontology? How is it relevant to research?

Ontology is a philosophical approach taken to research which is concerned with the nature of being in our existence.

There is no answer which is deemed right or wrong in the ontology position. It is understood that the roles we play, our background, and the values we possess influence us in such as way that we draw conclusion’s differently to one another, depending on these attributes that we hold. This form of individual interpretation of what is considered ‘fact’ leads us to our interpretations of those ‘facts’.

Researchers benefit from ontology by helping them to understand the certainty of the existence of that which they are studying, and the claims they are making about the nature of the reality of an object. This approach allows researchers to make decisions about how they will deal with any potential conflicts in the perceived reality, and who ultimately decides which version is deemed ‘real’ for the purposes of drawing research conclusions.

The aim of ontology is to allow for the study of one single reality that exists independently of individual experiences leading to a single ‘truth’ that is shared amongst the researchers. Research is conducted by firstly considering the ontological approach and specifically the question of ‘What is real?’, along with epistemology the two approaches act as the foundational approach to questions which require researching.

What is epistemology? How is it relevant to research?

Epistemology is an approach to research which concerns itself with the study of knowledge encompassing the methods of acquiring knowledge, the scope of the knowledge, and its validity. Epistemology can be considered the second branch to research, with ontology as the first branch.

Understanding how researchers study the knowledge discovered is critical, how the research is presented can be influenced by the researcher in ways which impact the conclusions drawn. Epistemology, therefore must deal with the central idea of whether an entity should be viewed either objectively or subjectively. These views being ‘objectivism’ and ‘subjectivism’, are central when answering research questions dealing with the nature of reality. 

Objectivism, or as it is also known positivism -

Considers that which is being researched, in its existence, is independent of, or external to the researchers that are concerned with the existence of that being researched. This approach is beneficial in that it allows for consistency in the conclusions drawn by the researchers, and results in a more transferrable application to other contexts.

Subjectivism, or as it is also known interpretivism or constructionism -

Considers that which is being researched is both socially constructed by the individual interpretations of those researchers concerned with the existence of that being researched, and is subject to change as a result. This also leads to multiple ‘facts’ or ‘truths’ being derived from the research.  

In essence what occurs is conclusions that are interpreted based on the researchers perceived view of the world, and in a way that fits their understanding of the world. This position can be beneficial when we seek to determine how an individual perspective, based on their experiences, can influence their conclusion to the same research gathered.

Reference: What on earth is Ontology and Epistemology?, https://theperformancesolution.com/earth-ontology-epistemology/

Reference: Research Methods, https://research-methodology.net/research-philosophy/ontology/

Reference: A guide to ontology, epistemology, and philosophical perspectives for interdisciplinary researchers, https://i2insights.org/2017/05/02/philosophy-for-interdisciplinarity/

I really liked this video which specifically referenced epistemology, and felt very relevant given the class discussion relating to truth and the question of how we know what we know. It also illustrates how vague a person needs to be in order for what is being said, or not being said, can be defined as ‘truthful’.

It’s a long video so start at the specific clip which quite short - start the video at 7.16 for context and epistemology is referenced at 10.53. If nothing else it is also very funny!

What is the connection between ontology and epistemology in a research context?

When we use ontology and epistemology together we are able to get a holistic view of how we understand knowledge. This is a research paradigm. These research paradigms can be described as:

• Positivism > This is an approach whereby it is considered there is only one reality, and the knowledge from that one truth can be measured through quantitative methods
• Constructivism > There are multiple realities, or no single reality, and the knowledge needs interpretation to understanding the meaning through qualitative methods
• Pragmatism > The reality is debated, negotiated and interpreted on an ongoing basis, and the knowledge must be interpreted through the use of the best tools to solve the problem

When we understand the approach and methodology of our research paradigm we can improve the quality of our research.

The following diagram explains the relationship between Ontology, Epistemology and other terms associated with the research paradigm:

Reference: Ontology, epistemology and research paradigm, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkcqGU7l_zU

Reference: The research paradigm – methodology, epistemology and ontology – explained in simple language, https://salmapatel.co.uk/academia/the-research-paradigm-methodology-epistemology-and-ontology-explained-in-simple-language/