The word knowledge consists of the fundamental word "KNOW". It's but natural to ask - KNOW WHAT? To my mind comes this universal answer - KNOW THAT WHICH IS TO BE KNOWN. WHAT IS IT THAT IS TO BE KNOWN? And, HOW DO I KNOW THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT IS TO BE KNOWN?
All the objective knowledge in the universe is relative, & a subject seeks this objective knowledge. Hence, the subject is the seeker. Because the subject seeks to know the object, objectivity by itself is rendered meaningless without the subject; for, it is the subject alone who is able to differentiate, deliberate, & debate upon the objects in relation to itself. Therefore, objects exist in relativity, & the subject actively seeks knowledge of objects. Now, what are these objects? Objects are essentially those which can be perceived by the senses independently or in a coordinated manner, sometimes using external means such as scientific instruments to gain deeper understanding of them. What is the nature of these objects? Science has taught us that objects in general are made up of atoms and molecules, which in turn are made up of sub-atomic particles. Science also teaches us about the physical properties, structure, chemical properties, etc., about objects, and even assigns some numerical values to these attributes. If objects are those external entities perceived by the senses, then the subject has to be the one who seeks knowledge of the objects thru’ senses and other faculties. Therefore, naturally, a person is the subject because he is the one who actively seeks objective knowledge. Indian philosophy says - at the center of everything in the universe (objects) is man, who is the subject. Whereas we have endeavored enough in making man's life pleasurable and comfortable by seeking objective knowledge and gainfully employing them to our advantage, enough efforts have not gone into understanding of the subject itself. Therefore, Indian philosophy says, and so have many great western philosophers like Aristotle and Socrates, "KNOW YOUR SELF". What does knowing oneself mean? It simply means I have to know WHO I AM. Therefore, knowing oneself begins with seeking answer to the most fundamental and profound question - WHO AM I? The profoundness of this question is such that, there is no objective answer at all to this question; for, the answer lies in the experience of the subject itself, which is one's own self. How am I to experience myself? The thought (of experiencing myself) itself drives me crazy. Should I ask questions like this to my neighbor’s lovely daughter, & she’ll think I’ve lost my mental balance and will most likely look for another boyfriend. Thankfully, the situation is not that bad. These questions and thoughts are true, valid, fair, natural, and profound. Therefore, they should be pursued relentlessly until we know the answers and take our thoughts to their logical ends. Having said that, I know I am the subject; I can feel, smell, think, see, hear, move my limbs, & am able to perform several tasks by applying my faculties…what not? What is the need to experience myself? In other words, am I not what I appear to be when I stand in front of a mirror? Better still, isn’t this thought of “experiencing oneself” illogical, perhaps even mad? Well, it is not so. The problem is, we are not what we think we are, or appear to be. All that was mentioned above are mere expressions of the subject. If these are mere expressions, then what exactly is the subject and what is its nature?
In order to understand the subject, we have to first and foremost define WHO THIS "I" IS, and in doing so we have to fix this “identity crisis” once and for all. We have to address the issue of “I” because when we think about the subject, the first thing that comes to our mind is “I”. Unfortunately, we do not know or realize who or what this “I” is and what it has got to do with the subject. At the macro level, it appears that the I in question is the person, the man. A little observation clearly shows us that the man is not a single entity at all; the man is in fact an INTEGRATED BEING. The man, who is in fact the subject, is an integration of the senses, limbs, the nervous system, the mind, & the intellect. If man is an integrated being, which is true, then who do we assign the "I"ness to? Is it the senses, the mind, the nervous system, the intellect, or all of these put together? The problem is that the “I” is none of these independently or collectively put together. It gets even more complicated when we realize that all the senses and other organs of the body & the nervous system are working independently of the person. That is, without the person’s active participation, all the various faculties of the person just do their work by themselves. To a large extent, the person merely reacts to the information sent by the various faculties.
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