What’s in the Sky?

What do you see in the photograph? A dark universe, stars, and light pollution?  In nursing, we learn epistemology is the study of the theory of knowledge (McEwen, 2019). Essentially, epistemology is how we come to know, the nature of truth, and the relationship between knowledge and belief. McEwen (2019) identifies seven basic types of understanding, reflecting on this, I realize I am strong (well, maybe not so strong) in the following areas of knowing:

1. Empirics (knowledge gained from scientific testing)
2. Personal knowledge (information gained from experience/thoughts)
3. Intuitive knowledge (feeling and hunches)
4. Somatic knowledge (understanding on how the body works)
5. Moral and ethical knowledge (knowing right from wrong)
6. Esthetics (creativity)

However, I am woefully deficient in the area of:

      7. Metaphysical knowledge

Metaphysical not in the sense of energy healing and the such, but rather the spiritual component of who I am and why I’m here. [Today, 6 January 2023, I was rereading this blog post when I realized, the seven spirits of G-d (spirit of the LORD, wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, and fear of the LORD) may actually align with the 7 basic types of understanding by McEwen. See my blog post, Florence and the Lamp. This might be an area to explore further in the future.]

Yet again, I’m reviewing, analyzing, deleting, un-posting, re-posting the questions and thoughts in my blogs. Internally I’m telling myself, “There has to be an answer!”

Then, after rereading the section on Light in Florence Nightingale’s (1969/1860) Notes on Nursing What it is, and What it is Not, I’ve stopped at the point where . . .

Florence Nightingale (1969/1860) writes: “The sun is not only a painter, but a sculptor. You admit he does the photograph” (p.84).

[I look up at the picture.]

Me: I do.

Reflecting on the Evidence

1. Explain your epistemology using the seven ways of knowing.

References

Beck, M. (2022, July 25). Florence and the Lamp. Time Traveling Nurse. https://timetravelingnurse.blog/2022/07/25/florence-and-the-lamp/

International Dark-Sky Association. (n.d.). Light pollution. Retrieved September 12, 2022 from, https://www.darksky.org/light-pollution/

McEwen, M. (2019). Philosophy, science, and nursing. In M.McEwen & E.M. Wills (Eds.). Theoretical Basis for Nursing, (5th ed., pp. 2-22). Wolters Kluwer. 

Nightingale, F. (1969). Notes on Nursing What it is, and What it is and What it is Not. Dover Publishing. (Original work published 1860.)

The Sky. (2022, July 21). The Sky. [Commissioned Photograph]. 

Special Thanks

Rebecca Niles, PhD, RN, CNE, Missionary Nurse Educator, reviewer and editor for What’s in the Sky?