1. Having an Open-minded View of Other Cultures— How Understanding of the Limits of Human Knowledge Can Help

2. Limits of Human Knowledge Goals of this lecture: 1. Be able to explain why we (humans) cannot know anything 100% for sure.

3. Limits of Human Knowledge Why learn that we cannot know anything 100% for sure? 1. Makes you understand you could be wrong about anything, and that understanding reduces the tendency toward ethnocentric thinking.

4. Limits of Human Knowledge Ethnocentric = Putting one’s own group above all others (without critical examination).

5. Limits of Human Knowledge Know Limits of Knowledge = Less ethnocentric thinking = Open mind towards others = Can learn about other (cultures)

6. Limits of Human Knowledge Let’s begin… How do we get to know anything? (i.e. What device(s) do humans use to “receive” information about the world?)

7. Limits of Human Knowledge Another way of asking this is… How do you know I’m here? How do you know I just clapped my hands? How do you know something taste like chicken? How do you know it’s cold?

8. Limits of Human Knowledge Our senses. But how do you know your senses are interpreting the world correctly? (Examples: What color is this? Science teacher story)

9. Limits of Human Knowledge Examples: What color is this? Science teacher story. Diving for pennies / spear fishing “Magic” tricks

10. Limits of Human Knowledge **Fact is you can’t be 100% for sure your senses are interpreting the world correctly.

11. Limits of Human Knowledge So, if you can’t be 100% for sure your senses are interpreting the world correctly. How can you know that the information you have programmed into your brain is correct?

12. Limits of Human Knowledge Is it possible that your senses are flawed (or everyone’s senses are flawed) and has led to incorrect “programming ?”

13. Limits of Human Knowledge Additionally, there are obviously things happening in the world that our senses do not pick up. So are we getting all the information? do we get the whole picture?

14. Limits of Human Knowledge Examples: Bats (sonar) Dogs whistles Radio waves Microscopes / Telescopes

15. Limits of Human Knowledge Conclusions: You cannot be 100% for sure that you are interpreting the world correctly. Therefore, you could be wrong about anything.

16. Limits of Human Knowledge Conclusions: Therefore, I recommend a “listening” (open-minded) approach to new information.

17. Limits of Human Knowledge Conclusions: In this course that means an open-minded approach to other cultures’ viewpoints.