Preview

“That which is accepted as knowledge today is sometimes discarded tomorrow.” Consider knowledge issues raised by this statement in two areas of knowledge.

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1717 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
“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.

Theory of Knowledge essay

Candidate number: 000416-0069
Examination session: May 2012

Word count: 1 594

“That which is accepted as knowledge today is sometimes discarded tomorrow.” This quote appears to imply that knowledge, which often results in facts and claims, might be discarded or provisional as time passes. The question asks to what extent is knowledge a subject to change over time. Therefore, often knowledge might become re-interpreted when new evidence, discoveries or technology are identified. In this essay, knowledge could be seen as a simplified map of a representation of reality. Within the essay two areas of knowledge will be investigated- human science and the arts. They seem to have opposing perspective on the knowledge issues raised by the question. Within the human science, which focuses on sense perception, logic and reason, the claim that knowledge is provision is true, as within this area of knowledge, a fact will go thought a process of experimenting and testing before it is recognized as knowledge and so it is easier to falsify an idea. However, within the arts, which is based on emotion and imagination, knowledge is easier accepted and therefore it is more difficult to falsify.

Human sciences allow ideas to be acquired as knowledge thought a vast variety of processes, for example through experiments and discoveries. However, with time, these ideas might change, because knowledge is our understanding at a given time in history. Thus, some of the knowledge is provisional as new discoveries and theorems are found. For example, in the Ancient times, the Greeks thought that Poseidon, the god of the sea, was the creator of earthquakes as well – “After all, what else could be strong enough to shake the ground?” (Isaac Asimov. "1. GODS AND



Bibliography: Isaac Asimov. "1. GODS AND AIR." How We Found about EARTHQUAKES. N.p.: Avon, February 1981. N. pag. Print. Kennedy, Randy. "Celebrating Forefather Of Graffiti." The New York Times. The New York Times, 22 July 2011. Web. 3 Dec. 2014. . Lisa Wald. "The Science of Earthquakes." The Science of Earthquakes. U.S. Department of the Interior, 24 July 2012. Web. 10 Oct. 2014. . "Mythology - Ancient Greek Gods and Myths." Mythology - Ancient Greek Gods and Myths. University Press Inc, 2003. Web. 10 Oct. 2014. .

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    Edith Hamilton has a different type of fascination towards the idea of mythology. In her book Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes, she solemnly writes about all the different myths that were told in Greece and Rome.…

    • 1484 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Auguste Comte's Theory

    • 887 Words
    • 4 Pages

    At this stage he used different stages to define the development of the global society. According to his theory, we are now living at the scientific stage. During this stage, it is based on facts that were gather through observation and experience. In addition, people started to view the world and event as explained by scientific principles. This is true because back in the olden days, people in different countries had a different explanation of the cause of an earthquake. In Greece, people blamed earthquake on angry gods. According to Greek mythology, Poseidon was the cause and god of earthquakes. It is said that when Poseidon is in a bad mood he struck the ground with a trident, causing earthquakes and other calamities (Howell, 2013). But in the scientific stage, people explained that earthquakes are caused when two blocks of the earth suddenly slip past one another and the movement is called a fault plane (Wald, 2012). These two examples can prove the fact the people’s knowledge had changed over time by using a different perspective to explain the same social situation. Another theory that still holds true today is Positivism. Positivism is the term used to describe an approach to the study of society that relies specifically on scientific evidence, such as experiments and statistics, to reveal a true nature of how society operates. The society that we all live in today, relies of…

    • 887 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Euthyphro

    • 1169 Words
    • 5 Pages

    References: "Greek Mythology." Myths and Legends of the World. 2001. Retrieved February 18, 2013 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3490900221.html…

    • 1169 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Ancient Greece was a civilization that set many precedents. One of the most notable earmarks of Ancient Greece is It’s mythology. Though not the only polytheistic culture, Greece is one of the most prominently thought of cultures when referring to Gods and Goddesses. The deities of ancient Greece held a huge sphere of influence in their culture. The Gods and Goddesses affected many aspects of everyday life. These myths became their religious and spiritual foundations. “In ancient Greece, a myth was not simply a story, or a tale, rich in religious and poetic meanings, but rather a body of scientific knowledge about the world and a normative conception of human beings” (Javier Lopez Frias, Isadora,Hadjistephanou Papaellina).…

    • 179 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    divine roles matrix

    • 1437 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Phyllis, L. M., & Minkel, W. (2000). Greek mythology. School Library Journal, 46(10), 75-76. Retrieved…

    • 1437 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Most scientific knowledge is durable, even though scientists reject the thought of they are accomplishing absolute truth. but when there are new information through new technology the knowledge might change. They rather modified ideas than reject them. For example, in formulating the theory of relativity, Albert Einstein did not renounce the laws of Newton of motion but showed them to be only an idea of limited use within a more general concept.…

    • 476 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Best Essays

    Knowledge can be looked upon in two perspectives absolutism and relativism, this is a view of whether knowledge remains the same or whether it changes as culture develops; what we teach is based on only what we know at the current time. The two concepts of knowledge are still conveyed in education; both are suitable for use and have their positives and negatives.…

    • 2266 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Good Essays

    Bible vs. Mythology

    • 1009 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Waterfield, Robin, and Kathryn Waterfield. The Greek Myths: Stories of the Greek Gods and Heroes Vividly Retold. London: Quercus, 2011. Print.…

    • 1009 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Best Essays

    Napoli, Donna Jo. Treasury of Greek Mythology: Classic Stories of Gods and Goddesses. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society, 2011. 42-43. Print.…

    • 530 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Yes, definitely, since the first impression is what attracts and connects with the audience. It can either bore a mind, or capture it and develop more and more curiosity. For example, if I were to be shown one painting with only a couple streaks of paint and another painting with an entire landscape painted on it, I would most likely be more interested and curious about the second painting (given my idea of “good” art). Just based on my first impression, I could easily be captured by one painting, though clearly bored with the other. Another person, however, may argue that one should not “judge a book by its cover” and that regardless if you find a panting attractive or revolting, it will draw your attention and…

    • 7686 Words
    • 31 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    The 1906 San Francisco earthquake is widely believed to be the most significant earthquake of all time with regards to destruction, loss of life, and subsequent learnings. On the 110th anniversary of the April 18th, 1906 earthquake, we delve into how our understanding of earthquakes has developed and how this particular earthquake helped further our understanding.…

    • 657 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The Clouds by Aristophanes

    • 1492 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Note: In the fifth century BCE, around the time when Aristophanes wrote The Clouds, the first stirrings of what today would be considered "scientific theory" were being felt.…

    • 1492 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Cited: Buxton, Richard. The Complete World of Greek Mythology. New York: Thames and Hudson LTD, 2004. Print…

    • 1002 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Course Objectives: Greek myths have inspired and influenced literature, music, and the rest of the arts, especially in the West, for three millennia. They have been for people all over the world a source of ideas and allusions. Our goal in “Introduction to Greek Mythology” is to acquire a solid background in the myths of the ancient Greek world, and to become acquainted with the gods, goddesses, monsters, heroes and others who figure in those myths. This knowledge will help you to better understand and appreciate a significant part of the world’s cultural heritage. We shall examine and critique some of the ways people have tried to determine the origins of myths and to interpret their meaning; we shall also explore what we can learn from Greek myths about the values, attitudes, and practices both of the ancients who first told them, and of the moderns who have retold them over the years (and retell them still).…

    • 2337 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    “The knower’s perspective is essential in the pursuit of knowledge.” To what extent do you agree?…

    • 1584 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays