A Body of Knowledge: The Role of Human Experience and the Living Body in Knowing
Journal of Humanistic Psychology December 2, 2020 DOI: 10.1177/0022167820974500 via OpenAlex
Summary
Human experience and the living body are often overlooked as sources of knowledge in psychology and cognitive science, despite their potential richness. This work argues that a first-person epistemology—along with precise methods for studying subjective experience—is necessary to genuinely investigate experiential knowledge. The proposal carries epistemological, ethical, and societal implications, suggesting that attending to experience can deepen understanding and inform broader goals beyond academia.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Subjectivity Experiential learning Epistemology Experiential knowledge Psychology |
| Citations | 2 |
| Key finding | A first-person epistemology and precise methods are needed to genuinely conduct experiential research, with implications that extend beyond epistemology to ethical and societal goals. |
Abstract
The study of ways of knowing is a major topic in psychology and cognitive science. However, one might argue that subjectivity and human experience as roots of knowing are seldom addressed, despite the perspectives that they may offer. Our work investigates the epistemic status of experience and the living body in knowledge processes. It asserts that human experience contains a myriad richness and argues that a first-person epistemology and precise methods are needed to genuinely conduct experiential research. The stakes of such a proposal are not only epistemological but also nourish an ethical and societal goal.