2S) POE 3rd A (23-05-2017) Bharghava Shyam (C)

 Name: A.N. Bharghava Shyam
Admission Number: MAE15007 (23-May-2017)

Question:

What is prefigurative fallacy? What are some of the assumptions (especially about the relationship between different types of knowledge) on the part of curriculum designers that leads them often to commit this fallacy? What should be taken into account about epistemic ascent in order to avoid this fallacy?

Answer:

Before going to discuss about Prefigurative fallacy, we will discuss about different kinds of knowledge, because of these different kind of knowledge and about their vague assumptions only we get this prefigurative fallacy.

There are three kinds of Knowledge which was recognized and identified by Epistemologists. The 3 types of Knowledge are Knowledge by acquaintance, know that and know how.

In Knowledge by acquaintance we get knowledge through senses, In Know that we get knowledge through the propositions and in Know how kind of knowledge we get knowledge through some procedures.

What is Prefigurative Fallacy?

Prefigurative means indistinctly prophetic. Fallacy means a misconception resulting from incorrect reasoning. Prefigurative fallacy means a vague vision that results a misconception. (This is the Dictionary meaning and Definition of Prefigurative Fallacy)

Prefigurative Fallacy is a pre-assumed false assumption. When we acquire the minimum amount of know that (Propositional Knowledge) and know how (Procedural Knowledge) it leads to Prefigurative fallacy. Without Practiced know that and know how leads to this Prefigurative fallacy. It gives some misconceptions and illusions in understanding curriculum. This happens because of some vague assumptions in the knowledge. Prefigurative fallacy is normal in designing the curriculum by expertize people. It is an incorrectly inferred knowledge with minimum understanding of propositional (know that) and procedural (Know how) knowledge.

About different kinds of knowledge and relationships with examples

1)    Knowledge by Acquaintance:

Here we get knowledge through contact, in knowledge by acquaintance we acquire knowledge by through the all senses not particularly by one sense. This knowledge is something indescribable and usually fights with the description because it may not be accurate. Wordless knowledge can be understood but it’s difficult to explain deeply

Example: If I sodden in rain I get fever/cold, I can’t explain accurately with others because, like me also some other person sodden in that rain he did not get that fever/col. It’s not completely personal experience, but is generally happens to people.

This knowledge by acquaintance will not that much relate with know that and know how knowledge.

2)    Know That

Knowledge that is also called as propositional knowledge, it mainly focus on facts, and this propositional knowledge is not proposed by single person, Before this proposals we have some basic knowledge about that propositions, We get some basic propositional knowledge by some semantic proposition it happens because of some cultural conditioning and also by knowledge by acquaintance.

Example: Hyderabad is the Capital of Andhra Pradesh (Now Hyderabad is common Capital for both AP & TS states for 10 years) & the Chair on the Hall is Black.

Here in this examples before believing this propositions we have some idea about these propositions (This is chair etc.), you have some beliefs about that propositions. What is Hyderabad, what is capital, what is Andhra Pradesh? Here you may believe that Amaravati is the capital of Andhra Pradesh. Here it is easily distinguish with the true belief. And for the second example chair color is black here you have belief that this is chair and this is black color etc. Here Knowledge by acquaintance is little related with know that knowledge.

3)    Know How:

Know How is also called as Procedural Knowledge, Know how includes and requires Knowledge by acquaintance and also Know that (Propositional Knowledge). Know how is the epistemic ability to show is how it happened.

Example: Riding a Horse, I need to feel and experience about horse and after that you need to know some facts about that horse and riding then only you can ride a horse.

All these 3 knowledge’s are not water-tight categories they overlap with each other.

Implicit (Not directly expressed) assumption in curriculum design is often leads to this fallacy, because every subject/curriculum has two aspects one is knowledge of expert (Who fixes and makes the subject/curriculum) and another is knowledge of teacher (Who teaches to child).

The experts are having very disciplined and deep knowledge in the subject, but they are not that much interested in teaching the subject & knowledge of teacher is to create right learning experience to child through their pedagogy. In this he/she may not that much deeply disciplined in that subject.

When the subject comes to child, curriculum will become fallacy to them. The children wants very simple and basic knowledge, when the subject becomes very formal/mechanical way to them, then that curriculum/subject will become fallacy to child.

“‘Tacit knowledge’ is here understood as know-how that cannot be exhaustively described” (Winch 2013) then it may become fallacy to others.

While designing the curriculum the curriculum designers and deciders (Expertise person- experts) have so many assumptions regarding Assumption about Learning, Assumption about learner, Assumption about teaching, Assumption about teacher, Assumption about school, Assumption about knowledge, Assumption about student & teacher behaviour, Assumption about assessment, Assumption about schooling process etc. these all assumptions are in mechanical process, they (Curriculum designers) will take interjection and overlapping assumptions in the curriculum based on some socio-political compromise and also by public and social choice theory. There are some constraints in selecting these assumptions that are time, humans, resources etc. because of choice, compromise, constraints this prefigurative fallacy also will happens.

In Curriculum designing most of expertize people will mostly focus on propositional knowledge than practical knowledge. They assume mainly about propositions which are facts only but child is not ready to accept those propositions because Map is not a substitute for an experience.

 

What should be taken into account about epistemic ascent in order to avoid this fallacy?

For avoiding fallacy 1^st we need to read the world before you read the word; map is substitute for experience, but after experience map will surely substitute your experience, here map have to guide the experience (Map is an abstract knowledge or symbolic knowledge that is equal to textbook, etc.). Here we need to develop perception based knowledge on empirical based subjects. In Curriculum and pedagogy we have include some knowledge by observations and by acquaintance in empirical manner.

Example: Social (History & geography) If I describe about my hometown in classroom and I gave a book and map of hometown & I will not allow you to come here, then you can’t experience my home town, but when you are visiting my hometown with that map/book you can get guide and help to get good experience in my home town, otherwise after visiting my hometown if I give his you can easily remember that experiences/learnings/knowledge.