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In their original form [1], these “hypotheses” are:
Hypothesis One: We can only “discover” knowledge in an environment that contains that knowledge.
Hypothesis Two: The only way to assert the validity of any knowledge is to compare it to another source of knowledge.
Philosophy aside, these seem to be perfectly reasonable hypotheses in practice.
For Hypothesis One:
We cannot extract knowledge from a book that does not contain it. We can’t learn a something from a teacher who doesn’t know that something. We can’t learn to ride a bicycle unless we get on one [2].
Using our earlier rock example: we can’t acquire the knowledge of the characteristics of a rock from, say, a puddle of water. To acquire that specific knowledge, we need a rock.
For Hypothesis Two:
We’ve already covered the necessity for another source of knowledge quite extensively, so there's no need for much further explanation. But to recap with an example: we cannot assess the quantity and/or the quality of knowledge in a person without an examination based on some source of the “correct” answer.
The Knowledge is... over there...
There is an interesting twist to consideration of Hypothesis One. If we, in our state of ignorance, are in an environment that does not contain the knowledge we need, to acquire it we have to move into an environment that does contain it. This is, of course, the reason we have schools for children. For the most part, our homes do not contain the knowledge they will need so they must be relocated into a learning environment.
This was not always the case. In early human history there were no schools. The life skills that were needed, such as hunting and gathering, were largely taught "at home." It was only when the human race started specializing its knowledge that people had to move into environments where that knowledge resided.
For adults, this can add a challenge. Children are wired to learn; it is kind of their job. Not so with adults. When we become grown up and have acquired a raft of skills in some areas, moving from those areas into environments where we do not know what to do presents a psychic and emotional challenge. In one area we are expert and can effortlessly display our 0OI. In the new area, we do not know what we need to know. In these areas we have 1OI if the area is similar and/or 2OI and 3OI if the area is quite different.
This may not be comfortable and it presents a problem with learning which we will address next
FOOTNOTES
[1] The Laws of Software Process. P.13
[2] We can learn the theory of riding a bike from a book that contains that theory. But to demonstrably acquire the knowledge of how to ride a bike, we have to ride a bike.
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