The Role of Intuition in Interdisciplinary Insight

Abstract

Intuition is a hotly debated topic in interdisciplinary scholarship, at the core of the conflict between the need for rigor as opposed to open-mindedness within interdisciplinary studies. To thoroughly investigate this subject, an integration of multiple disciplinary perspectives is required. The mechanisms of intuition are revealed through the studies of cognitive psychology. Intuition has an important role in scientific discovery and in the epistemological traditions of Western philosophy, as well as a central function in Eastern concepts of wisdom. It also is prized for its practical application in a multitude of professions, from business to health care to the military. Intuition can be trained and thus has a place in higher education. For interdisciplinarity, intuition is a crucial faculty for understanding complexity, and therefore must be recognized and included in the development of integrative method and theories of interdisciplinarity.