Intuition: Its nature and Uses in Human Experience

As the title indicates, in this book the overall position which has been presented is that intuition is a natural and necessary part of the "mind's-life," i.e., the functioning of the human mind in the process of acquiring knowledge and understanding. However, even though intuition is natural and necessary for human knowledge and understanding, it is not viewed with favour by many thinkers around the world. The reason is that, in general, it has been taken to be a non-discursive form or an independent way of gaining knowledge. Yet, as most rigorous thinkers hold, knowledge is by its very nature discursive. Given the foregoing view of intuition, as it is generally understood, the challenge which has been set before the author in writing this book was to legitimate the belief in and use of intuition by presenting an explanation as to its nature and uses which is not at odds with what rigorous thinkers take knowledge to be.

The core idea of what the author takes intuition to be was culled from the writings of Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan. Briefly, intuition, so viewed, is taken to be an integral process of the mind, which culminates in an act of insight.

The process involves reasoning, but the insight in which the process culminates does not. Intuition is not a form of knowledge; rather it is only one means to knowledge which together with reason, sense-experience, and revelation (in the Heideggerian sense) make possible knowledge and understanding.

Hope K. Fitz, Ph.D. is a Professor of Philosophy at Eastern Connecticut State University. Professor Fitz received her Ph.D. in Asian and Comparative Philosophy. She has written numerous articles and presented many papers to scholarly associations and institutions. As an Asian and Comparative philosopher, her research and writings deal with both Western and non-Western philosophical traditions. An article of hers that was recently published has to do with Immanuel Kant's Categorical Imperative or Moral Law.

Professor Fitz's interest in Gandhi's views of non-violence was instrumental in her efforts to establish a Peace and Human Rights Committee at her university. In order to further her efforts for peace, Professor Fitz intents to undertake research concerning the Jain non-violent way of life. More than any other tradition, the Jains practice their beliefs involving non-harm and compassion. Professor Fitz's next book, Ahimsa: A Way of Life will focus on the attitude and practices of ahimsa At present, Professor Fitz is a member of the Governing Council for WAVES, the World Association for Vedic Studies.