Justification

Sacred Heart teachers in a hesitant show of hands

Waiting to board in Mactan airport.  This afternoon we had a joint session of the Grade School and High School teachers of Sacred Heart School-Jesuit/Ateneo de Cebu (Why do some schools like all these tediously slashed names?).  I’m afraid the teachers enjoyed the air-conditioned auditorium and their comfortable chairs much more than the discussion. 

But as always, discussions like this one—no matter how labored and boring—do yield certain insights.  This afternoon, this nth session with teachers, what crystallized was the relative role of authority, opinion, and evidence in the different fields and subject areas. There is a need for teachers to discuss this question with others teaching the same subject.  What is the role of these three in assessing knowledge claims in a particular field?  Which one is the weightiest?  Is there room for the others?  In what way are they related to one another in justifying knowledge in that discipline?

If it’s possible, it will be helpful, I think, to fill out a table similar to this one:

	Authority	Opinion	Evidence
ART
MORALITY
SOCIAL SCIENCES
PHYSICAL SCIENCES
RELIGION
Etc.

In the Physical Sciences, for example, Evidence is clearly the most crucial factor, but Authority (science experts) comes as a close second, and Opinion—despite impressions to the contrary—does have a role of some sort.

In the Social Sciences, the relationships among Evidence, Opinion, and Authority change.

Compare that to Religion and Morality, where what constitutes as Evidence is different and may not be as self-evident and therefore, “compelling” as Scientific Evidence.   No wonder Opinion and Authority play a more important role.

Will it be helpful to ask the following questions per discipline:

a)     Which of the three has a role to play in the justification of knowledge in a particular discipline?

b)    Which one is considered the weightiest and most important?

c)     What is the relationships among the three?

Today’s session brought about questions more than answers.  Knowledge is indeed complex and uncertain.