The process of knowing is explicate and explains to a large extent the meaning and also the nature of knowledge. Knowing happens through perception, reason, emotion, and codification.

1. Knowledge process
BY. DR. KSHETRIMAYUM SAJINA DEVI

2. Different ways of knowing
 Any information about a place or thing is known as the knowledge of that
particular entity. So, we can say that knowledge is knowing about someone
or something. Knowledge is familiarity, awareness or understanding of
someone or something such as facts, information, descriptions or skills,
which is acquired through experience or education by perceiving,
discovering or learning. The interaction of people in society generates
knowledge, while developing knowledge means knowledge is based on
previous experiences.

3. The Process of Knowing
 The process of knowing is explicate and explains to a large extent the
meaning and also the nature of knowledge. Knowing happens through
perception, reason, emotion, and codification. The valid ways of knowing
are perception, reason, emotion, and language. All have a particular
purpose and place. A child from infancy to early childhood relies heavily on
the sense perception for knowledge acquisition. It is only after stepping
into late childhood that the other three ways of knowing starts taking
place. Language and emotions are followed by reason, and by adulthood,
it is combination of all the four that converge in the process of knowledge
acquisition.

4. Let us discuss about the ways of
knowing in detail
 1. Sense Perception
 It is the most basic and immediate way of knowing, but sometimes it might not be a very
reliable source. The acquisition of knowledge begins with the reception of external stimuli by
our sense organs, which is immediately converted into the form of perception. Thus,
knowledge starts with the experience of the facts or matters through the sense organs,
individually and collectively at the individual level or while participating in any social activity.
The ultimate source of all human knowledge is the evidence of reality provided by the senses.
All the five senses such as touch, taste, sight, smell, and hearing, contribute towards our quest
for knowledge acquisition. They are sometimes referred to as the gateways of knowledge.
Sensations are simple sensory experiences. Perceptions are complex constructions of simple
elements joined through association. Perception is influenced by expectations, needs,
unconscious ideas, values, conflicts, and past learning of a person. Sense perception is a
subjective activity, and hence, it varies from individual-to-individualdepending upon one’s
innate abilities. Our physical conditions, motivational dispositions, and mental state direct our
sense perception. Perception is the process of attaining awareness or understanding of the
environment by organising and interpreting sensory stimuli. It is shaped by learning, memory,
and expectation.

5.  2. Language
 Language is a system of conventional, spoken, manual, or written symbols by
means of which human beings, as members of a social group and participants
in its culture express themselves. Language is the primary basis of all
communication and the primary instrument of thought. Language is
determined by a number of factors such as social background, attitudes, and
origin of people. Language acts as a carrier or medium for conveying
knowledge from one individual to the other. It integrates knowledge acquired
through varied sources at varied places and names it. It helps in memorising
and recalling. Language contributes to knowledge acquisition and
transmission. Language is so much a part of human activity that it is easily
taken for granted. The issues related to language and knowledge call for
conscious scrutiny in order to recognise its influence on thought and
behaviour.

6.  3. Reason
 The action of thinking about something in a logical, sensible way to form a
conclusion or judgement is called reasoning. Developing rational and critical
thinking abilities is pivotal to acquiring reliable knowledge. It involves both
conscious and unconscious reasoning. Sometimes what has happened in the
past teaches us to reason with reference to the future. Developing association
between past, present, and future occurrences is part of the reasoning process
creating patterns in the process of learning. In logic, we often refer to the two
broad methods of reasoning, namely, deductive and inductive reasoning.
Deductive reasoning works from the more general to the more specific.
Sometimes this is informally called a ‘top-down approach’. Inductive reasoning
works the other way, moving from specific observations to broader
generalisations and theories. Informally, we sometimes call this a bottom-up
approach

7.  Emotion
 It is a strong feeling deriving from one’s circumstances, mood, and
relationships with others. One of the ways of knowing is emotion.
Emotions and their expression vary across cultures and hence, knowledge
so acquired may not be as reliable. It is subjective and less measurable. It
helps as well as hinders in the process of knowledge construction. The
training of emotion is a key factor in enhancing the teaching-learning
process. There are few ways by which students can be initiated into the
process of knowing. They are by experiencing the situations themselves, by
relating to previous knowledge, by dealing with problematic situations and
developing rational, abstract knowledge, and by relating to real- life
situations.