International Seminar on 

Vidya Bhawan Society, Udaipur

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That humans possess knowledge of the world -- natural as well as social -- can not be doubted. That much is evident in their mutual behaviour, including social behaviour and communication with each other, and as well as in their actions. This knowledge seems to be in the form of mental models of the world, made of concepts and organised in language as well as images. There also exist bodies of knowledge that can be called public disciplines. These bodies of knowledge go beyond individuals, as the term “public” suggests, and are shared across communities of people. Thus existence of knowledge, as individual cognition as well as publicly shared disciplines is beyond doubt.

   The question is what does this knowledge depict, describe, explains or is all about? Is this knowledge made-up of just mental states having no ground whatsoever? Or does it have its basis in human physiology alone? Or does it represent an independent reality outside the knower?

   The second question is how does this knowledge come about? Is it innate and hard wired in each human being to be just evoked by the first experience or to grow as limbs develop? Or is it imprinted by the external reality in the mind of each human being? Or is it transferred by the knowledgeable to the new entrants to human life as finished product?

   This presentation will explore these questions along the three dimensions suggested by Phillips (1995), namely:

(i) Individual psychology versus public disciplines

(ii) Human creator versus nature the instructor

(iii) Active creation versus passive absorption.

   Then the presentation will go on to explore the possibility of objective knowledge in the constructivist paradigm. In this section relationship of objectivity with independent external reality, with human physiology, and with social situation will be explored.

   In conclusion some implications of the views taken above for classroom teaching will be hinted at.