Knowledge, Intellect and ChatGPT (Part 2 of 3)

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

There exists a hierarchy of knowledge, where some information holds more value for humanity than others. This varies from spiritual knowledge, psychological insights, to understanding nature. In the traditional religious viewpoint, understanding man’s relation with God is perceived as the most vital, followed by human interactions, and then humanity’s relationship with nature. Today’s society, however, has resulted in an inversion of this hierarchy.

Author: Dr. Najmuddin Hasan

When delving into the realm of knowledge, it prompts contemplation on whether all knowledge holds equal value or utility for humanity. Consider, for instance, the contrast between the average rainfall on Venus and the principles of Ethics and Morals. Is the former as pertinent to an individual as the latter? Similarly, does knowing the height of a grasshopper’s jump carry the same weight as understanding Politics or Economics? It becomes evident that certain knowledge holds precedence over others, a natural discrimination in the vast spectrum of knowledge.

There exists a hierarchy in knowledge. Some facets resonate with our spiritual essence, unravelling our purpose and meaning. Other branches appeal to our psychology, emotions, and passions, providing insights into the intricate workings of the human mind. Furthermore, certain knowledge elucidates the mechanics of the world surrounding us. Thus, not all knowledge is created equal; it varies in significance, catering to diverse aspects of our existence.

In a traditional religious setting, where the primary objective of society is to foster and guide individuals toward salvation, knowledge can be categorised into three distinct tiers, arranged in descending order of significance:

1. Knowledge of Man’s Relationship with God:
   • This encompasses spiritual and theological understanding, emphasizing the connection between individuals and the divine. It forms the cornerstone of wisdom in such a religious context.
2. Knowledge of Man’s Relationship with Man:
   • This category involves insights into human interactions, ethical principles, and moral conduct. Understanding the dynamics of human relationships and societal responsibilities holds paramount importance.
3. Knowledge of Man’s Relationship with Nature:
   • Delving into the natural world, ecological awareness, and our role as stewards of the environment occupy a significant place. This knowledge acknowledges the interconnectedness between humanity and the broader ecosystem.
4. Transient and Temporal Information:
   • i. Technological Innovation:
     • While important for practical advancements, technological know-how is considered less vital than the aforementioned categories in the context of spiritual salvation.
   • ii. News:
     • Current events and news, though relevant for staying informed, hold a lower standing in the hierarchy of crucial knowledge.
   • iii. Fantasy and Imagination, Films, and Books:
     • Creative and imaginative pursuits, such as fantasy, films, and books, are considered fleeting in comparison to the enduring wisdom derived from the first three categories.

The utmost essential category of knowledge pertains to the connection between humanity and the Divine, encompassing Metaphysics, Theology, and Perennial Philosophy. This realm stands apart from the mundane and trivial philosophies prevalent in today’s world. Following this, we find the category of knowledge that concerns human relationships and interactions. This includes the Sacred Arts and Humanities, which serve as a reminder of humanity’s divine origin.

Lastly, we have the least significant category of knowledge, which is the study of mankind’s relationship with the natural world. This encompasses the Sciences, such as Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and their respective branches. Knowledge dwells in the realm of the Eternal, traditional, and enduring, while information is fleeting, changeable, fickle, and temporal.

Once again, the ‘Law of Entropy’ takes hold and reduces Hierarchy to equality and Discrimination to degeneracy, in contemporary society, the sacred and profane are equated, the valuable and trivial are equated, there is no discrimination in Knowledge and information and hence Truth and Falsehood are equated.

It is worth noting that the first universities in Oxford and Cambridge were founded by monks, and the initial subject taught was Theology. Theology encompassed Divine Science, Human Science, and Natural Science, with the latter two supporting and being subordinate to the Divine Science in a hierarchical structure.

Ironically, in today’s technological society, which aims to reduce humans to their most basic and mechanical aspects, there is a paradoxical inversion of the hierarchy of knowledge and information. This inversion is based on material possessions and imagination.

The traditional all-encompassing holistic nature of knowledge was encapsulated within traditional scholars, who were invariably ‘polymaths’, from Aristotle, Archimedes, Averroes, Avicenna, Leonardo da Vinci, Isaac Newton, Gottfried Leibniz, and Benjamin Franklin. In recent times, the last remnant of these scholars was René Guénon. Naturally, there were also innumerable examples within the African, Chinese, and Indian worlds.

The division of knowledge into different fields has resulted in the absence of a well-rounded polymath and the emergence of experts who have narrow perspectives. They may excel in one area, like particle physics, but have limited knowledge in other areas, such as solid-state physics.

Epistemology: The Theory of Knowledge

In relation to the hierarchy of knowledge mentioned above, the different types of knowledge appeal to the different receptacles or faculties within Human Intelligence. The receptacles or faculties of human intelligence also have a corresponding hierarchical structure as described in Plato’s Republic.

	Object	Subject (Receptacles of the Mind)
The Real and Eternal World or Intelligible World	The Eternal Transcendent Good, The Divine Names	Intellect (Eye of the Heart) Witnessing the Truth
	Mathematical Ideas	Reason, Thinking and Understanding
The Apparent, Phenomenal, or sensible World The World of Appearance	Physical Objects	Belief (In the sensory organs) Seeing the Facts
	Illusions and Dreams	Imagination

1. Intellect (witnesses spiritual/metaphysical axioms)
2. Reason (operates and employs metaphysical axioms)
3. Belief (senses physical realities – what can be perceived by the senses)
4. Imagination (operates and employs physical axioms)

The contemporary mindset is primarily concerned with the how of things – the faculty of reasoning, rather than the meaning or essence of things – the intellectual faculty, the latter resembling that of traditional societies. A person driven by rationalism will assert that two plus two equals four, while an intellectual individual will contemplate the notions of two, four, addition, and equality.

While a rationalistic person will employ logical reasoning based on established principles, an intellectual person will reflect upon and acknowledge these principles. While a rationalistic person will utilise knowledge, an intellectual person will bear witness to or unveil knowledge.

The Reasoning Man

We live in a world today where everyone is told to ask questions; and to use their reasoning faculty (or in mathematical terms, ‘logic’) to find the answer.

What is reason? Reason is the extrapolation and manipulation of given facts into an uncharted territory; reason is not the source of the facts! Reason will allow us to play a game of chess given the rules of the game. Reason allows the young child to ask the never-ending question ‘why?’ without ever given a final axiomatic answer.

For logic to work effectively, it must have a complete and correct set of axioms. Likewise, in the physical world, for reason to give valid results, its physical axioms (facts) must be complete and correct. For example, if we say:

1. All birds can fly,
2. An Ostrich is a bird, then the logical conclusion is:
3. An Ostrich can fly

Now the reasoning is perfect, but ostriches cannot fly, so our axioms must be either wrong or incomplete. In this case the first axiom is incorrect.

As well as not providing the facts, reason cannot produce new facts. To say two plus three equals five shows consistency, nothing else; one can equally say five equals two plus three. So, reasoning based on purely physical axioms (rationality) cannot produce beyond-physical results. Or, in other words, reasoning based on worldly things (rationality) cannot tell us anything about the spiritual sphere. Modern (Secular) Science tells us to doubt anything that is not based on the physical 'atom,' and hence denies what is beyond it.

The question now to be addressed is: “what is the source (provider) of our knowledge (facts or axioms)?” Our knowledge of the physical world comes from our senses: sight, sound, smell, touch and taste; and the various extensions from scientific devices. Now for us to be able to use the knowledge from our senses, we must both trust in the senses and keep the body in a reasonably healthy state for our senses to be effective.

This will be explored in the next article.