Biographical information tells more about a person’s attitudinal and experiential backgrounds. It is largely used in predicting a person’s professional performance as well as in determining the personality type of an individual. Biographical data provides answers to questions concerning a person’s behavior in the past. From the past behavior, assumptions are made about how that person is likely to behave in the future (Stokes et al. 20). Biographical information includes the date a person was born, certain features in the present and previous jobs, and performance in various exams. Philosophical theory, on the other hand, refers to the worldviews and a person’s place in the world. It is also about the relationship between a person and the world and its components. It is a set of guiding principles used in addressing issues and events that human beings face on a daily basis (Achinstein 41). Philosophical theories are drawn from life experiences, the person’s values, the environment, awareness, and from interaction with other people.
Biographical information is useful in screening and examining applicants for a particular job. Most employers consider it more objective in selecting the right candidates compared to the conventional paper-based strategy. Today, most selection processes apply biographical data as it reliably predicts the success of a person than the conventional interviews. To accomplish this, employers develop a set of questions that seek to gather biographical information (Stokes et al. 35). The questions are based on scenarios that the applicant may have encountered, and the aim is to discover the applicant’s conduct in those particular scenarios. The general questions identify other behaviors of a candidate such as what motivates the candidate; level of discipline and procrastination amongst other behaviors. On the contrary, the elements that make up philosophical perspective include the statements that are believed to be true. The statements are taken to be true by the people who accept them regardless of whether they empirical or not (Achinstein 54). In a nutshell, the collection of statements from schools of thought, philosophical movements, and belief systems makes up the philosophical theory. Moreover, a philosophical theory may be in the form of religion, ideologies, life stance, and worldviews.
The opponents of philosophical perspectives include the idealists. According to the idealists, the ideas but not beliefs constitute the world. They hold that perception is the awareness of material objects existing in reality. Thus, according to them, nothing else comes between perception and the perceptible objects. The main argument of the opponents of the philosophical theory is that un-observables are non-existent, and only the observable objects exist (Watkins 37). Unobservable characteristics and objects are fictitious imaginations in the minds of people. Additionally, those opposing use of biographical information argue that it can be biased and selective. They hold that it is difficult to be objective in the way biographical data claims to be. When using biographical information in interviews, for instance, the employer may fall in love with a particular subject and eventually become judgmental.
In conclusion, each of these perspectives has its own pros and cons. However, when supplemented, philosophical perspective and biographical information become stronger. For instance, when biographical information is supplemented with traditional factual bio information including criminal record, employment history, background checks, and education accomplishments, together they form a complete portrait of the applicant giving a clear indication of the actual performance (Watkins 63). Furthermore, when a philosophical theory is coupled with idealism and phenomenalism, it gives a better perspective of the nature of the world, its components, and interaction with human beings.
Achinstein, Peter. Scientific Evidence: Philosophical Theories & Applications. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2005. Print.
Stokes, Garnett S, Michael D. Mumford, and William A. Owens, editors. Biodata Handbook: Theory, Research, and Use of Biographical Information in Selection and Performance Prediction. Palo Alto, Calif: CPP Books, 2004. Print.
Watkins, Eric, editor and translator. Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason: Background Source Materials. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009. Print.