Theory of Knowledge 2014
Theory of Knowledge Essay
Title 4: “That which is accepted as knowledge today is sometimes discarded tomorrow.” Consider knowledge issues raised by this statement in two areas of knowledge.
“That which is accepted as knowledge today is sometimes discarded tomorrow.” Consider knowledge issues raised by this statement in two areas of knowledge.
“Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.”1 These were the words of former American president John F. Kennedy, words that are very readily applicable to the concept of knowledge. Kennedy implies that the constantly evolving nature of our knowledge is an entirely natural process. Knowledge is often defined as ‘justified true belief’2 – implicit in this definition is the existence of three distinctive criteria – all of which must be satisfied by the knower for something to be considered knowledge. Consequently there is both a personal and collective aspect to that which is considered knowledge, as the knower must believe a knowledge claim, while it must also be justified with evidence that is universally true. Individuals obtain their own knowledge and contribute their knowledge towards a pool of communal knowledge. The fact that each individual interprets knowledge in his or her own way gives rise to the assertion that the knowledge of today is ‘sometimes’ discarded – but by no means always. The nature of our knowledge raises several issues that are linked directly to the question – to what extent does knowledge change over time? If the construction of knowledge depends on individuals and communities, to what extent does change also depend on these components? In this essay, I intend to analyze some of the knowledge issues relevant to this question.
While changes in knowledge are evident more clearly in some areas of knowledge, it is my belief that these changes do occur in virtually every area of knowledge. The fact that knowledge is ever
Title 4: “That which is accepted as knowledge today is sometimes discarded tomorrow.” Consider knowledge issues raised by this statement in two areas of knowledge.
“That which is accepted as knowledge today is sometimes discarded tomorrow.” Consider knowledge issues raised by this statement in two areas of knowledge.
“Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.”1 These were the words of former American president John F. Kennedy, words that are very readily applicable to the concept of knowledge. Kennedy implies that the constantly evolving nature of our knowledge is an entirely natural process. Knowledge is often defined as ‘justified true belief’2 – implicit in this definition is the existence of three distinctive criteria – all of which must be satisfied by the knower for something to be considered knowledge. Consequently there is both a personal and collective aspect to that which is considered knowledge, as the knower must believe a knowledge claim, while it must also be justified with evidence that is universally true. Individuals obtain their own knowledge and contribute their knowledge towards a pool of communal knowledge. The fact that each individual interprets knowledge in his or her own way gives rise to the assertion that the knowledge of today is ‘sometimes’ discarded – but by no means always. The nature of our knowledge raises several issues that are linked directly to the question – to what extent does knowledge change over time? If the construction of knowledge depends on individuals and communities, to what extent does change also depend on these components? In this essay, I intend to analyze some of the knowledge issues relevant to this question.
While changes in knowledge are evident more clearly in some areas of knowledge, it is my belief that these changes do occur in virtually every area of knowledge. The fact that knowledge is ever
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