How Do You Know That?

by Ellis Potter

How do we know anything? Do we know because ‘science says so’ or because ‘the Bible tells me so’ or because ‘it just feels right and I know it inside myself’? Do we know everything in the same way? Can different ways of knowing fit together in one life and reality? In this concise volume, the second book of a trilogy, international speaker Ellis Potter shows how four basic ways of knowing can be integrated to make us more fully human. His first book—3 theories of everything—has been translated into fourteen languages since its publication in 2012.

Genres: Philosophy, Christianity

100 pages, Paperback

Published September 27, 2016

Reviews

[Kristi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! It's brimming with Potter's delicate yet piercing insights as he helps us to construct a thicker, fuller, and completely real epistemology of reality. In many ways he isn't presenting anything "new", but what he is doing is clearly articulating a squared epistemology with four equal yet distinct complementing, non-competing components. It's a thought provoking read and it certainly makes one assess areas in which one places an unhelpful epistemological emphasis. Having said this, however, I would have loved for Potter to have gone a little bit further in explicating why this four-fold construct is the true way of knowing reality. He briefly answers this by referring to his own epistemological experience over the years, but by saying this, to me, it seems as though he has just fallen foul of the very thing he asked his readers not to do, i.e. elevate one side of the four- sided square. My question is: why is knowledge of reality thus? How does he know that he knows? I may be very wrong, it just seems like the book is begging the question, even though I wholeheartedly agree and love and relish all that he has to say!

[Ahn, Hang San · Rating 5 out of 5]

A mind-blowing intro to epistemology

A former Buddhist monk and a present Christian counselor, Ellis Potter’s writing style was so crystal clear and penetrating sharp through my mind.

So profound and intuitive, but also analytical and airtight, it felt both Eastern AND Western at the same time, like reading C. S. Lewis or Tim Keller in the language of Confucius or Mencius.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just my opinion!

Interesting view points but I felt I was reading the author's opinion not factual as he referenced! Not my ' cup of tea'!

[Cory · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite a lot of problems with this book, its basic premise is sound and thought-provoking—namely that there are four genuine and complementary ways that humans know things to be true, and the more you listen to all of them in balance, the wiser you will be.

Note that from paragraph to paragraph, this book can't seem to decide whether it's for Christians (assuming things they hold to be true and others don't) or not (demonstratively noting options outside the Christian frame). So before you recommend it to someone, be aware that there's something to annoy every audience.

[Prabhu Guptara · Rating 5 out of 5]

A bit of dynamite, this little book.

But it would have been more satisfying had it been longer and addressed some of the questions that readers will inevitably have - at least, I have.

Nevertheless, I've given it 5 stars because it is difficult to do more in the amount of space chosen.

What the author has achieved in this tiny space is excellent, but what was the need to stick to this relatively small amount of space?

[Rick Theis · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just cannot turn the FIRST CORNER

Nope. Don’t bother. This book destroys itself in the 2nd chapter when it posits that “information is supernatural”. I rest my case. As for ‘logic’ this one fails.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Real answers to one of the most important questions in life. Beautifully composed.