Knowledge: Deterposeful And Purposeful, Or Purpose In Our Personal Lives?

“There is a thing called knowledge of the world, which people do not have until they are middle-aged. It is something which cannot be taught to younger people, because it is not logical and does not obey laws which are constant. It has no rules” (T.H. White).

Why is knowledge important? Knowledge helps us in life and is a key to succeed in life. As the wise Napoleon Hill once said: “Knowledge has no value, except that which can be guided from its application toward some worthy end. In the book Fahrenheit 451, they show why books are so important. Without books, most of the people have no knowledge and they became a dystopian society. In a dystopian society nobody thinks and everyone are forced to not have their own ideas. For example in Fahrenheit 451 no one is supposed to have books because one group of people (fireman) think it is trying to convey dangerous messages while the majority are forced to conform/ follow. It relates to the society we are living in now because a small group of people (government) think it’s wrong so everyone is forced to conform. In my essay, I will explain the importance of knowledge, how knowledge helps us in our life, how knowledge helps us understand our self and finally how knowledge brings more knowledge.

The main argument here is that the knowledge represents for me the basis of my values, from which I learned most things, which in return guided me to the other good values like the honesty, responsibility and accountability. I highly believe that the knowledge is the major source of all other good

The critically acclaimed novel written by Mary Shelley and published in 1818, delves into a multitude of universal themes throughout the text. One value that drives the plot forward, and leads to character development is the theme, human fulfillment of the pursuit of knowledge. It is Dr. Frankenstein 's unquenchable thirst for knowledge that leads to the future predicaments that ensue after the Creature is conceived and future moral dilemma. An example of Dr. Frankenstein 's disposition that lends itself to the validity of the stated theme, is as follows; “It was the secrets of heaven and earth that I desired to learn; and whether it was the outward substance of things, or the inner spirit of nature and the mysterious soul of man that occupied me, still my inquiries were directed to the metaphysical, or, in its highest sense, the physical secrets of the world” (Shelley 30). The doctor 's preoccupation with his studies, that results in controversy over the suitable nature of such an unobtainable desire, is clearly exemplified in the quote, “If the study to which you apply yourself has a tendency to weaken your affections and to destroy your taste for those simple pleasures in which no alloy can possibly mix, then that study is certainly unlawful, that is to say, not befitting the human mind” (45).

During the first few weeks of class we’ve gone through various texts in order to better our understanding of human knowledge. We have talked about Christianity St. Matthew “The Sermon on the Mount”, Plato and “The Allegory of the Cave”, “The Four Idols” of Sir Francis Bacon, Robert Frost’s “Mending Wall”, and even Carl Jung and “The Structure of the Psyche”. All these texts may have been written in different eras and different places, but they have one thing in common, and that is their understandings of human nature and knowledge, and how they demonstrate to us epistemology (how we know) and metaphysics (what human beings know).

We as humans tend to have an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. We look for knowledge about everybody and everything that surrounds us from our day-to-day life. Sadly though, we must accept that in the grand scheme of life we (as a society) tend to put pleasure above our quest for knowledge. The pursuit of knowledge tends to take time and energy, two things we call invaluable, and it also shows us things that might depress us. Contrastingly, ignorance takes no time and energy. Also, (as the common saying goes) ignorance is bliss. It keeps ugly truths away from us. But that is no reason to forsake knowledge for ignorance. In the early 1900’s, two books were published that would eventually be referred to the pinnacle of classical literature.

The first chapter of Ecclesiastes, a book in the Bible, concludes with the words, “For in much wisdom is much grief, and increase of knowledge is increase of sorrow.” This quotation explains that the more you understand and discover about the world the more despondent you will become. In The Awakening, Kate Chopin shows that knowledge can cause grief while knowledge can also cause empowerment and self-fulfillment.

Some think that people with knowledge of the world’s complexities and its limitations are often unhappy, while their less-knowledgeable counterparts remain contented. They think that being ignorant of the cold reality surrounding them will bring them happiness because their minds will be peaceful and innocent. However, knowledge is a very strong element to world development. It allows great things to be achieved. Therefore, knowledge actually does make one happier.

To truly think about knowledge brings about some interesting thought. When asked to think about knowledge, most individuals concern themselves solely with what they know such as certain subjects, theories or facts. In the grand scheme of things, this way of thought is seemingly only minute or even superficial. As human beings, we do not always considered how we come to know what we know. We often place are acquisition of knowledge lower in a taxonomy of importance. All too often, individuals take knowledge and its power for granted. However, individuals like René Descartes and his work, The Meditations, provide a deep exploration of knowledge and all its facets. For every individual or scholar this work is very important in that it causes

It is often said that knowledge is power, however, one’s perspective lies at the heart of what one does with that power. Everything that is, or ever was, considered knowledge, carried a perspective and that perspective acted as a new lens. Through the lens of literature, a theme that is present in certain novels revolves around the dangers of the pursuit of knowledge. These novels suggest that the knower made a mistake in pursuing it and makes the argument that some knowledge should never be pursued. This ambiguity surrounding the ethics of the pursuit of knowledge leads to questions such as: how is a knower’s pursuit of knowledge deemed moral or immoral? Throughout history it is has been seen that scientific discoveries soon turned into toys

A perpetual conflict emanating throughout all mankind questions the significance of knowledge to human nature, regarding knowledge’s definition, acquisition, branches, and value. Major role models in the foundation of philosophy - specifically, in this essay, Plato and Aristotle - obsess over the significance of knowledge and its importance to and relationship with the development of human beings and their mindsets. Although Plato’s view on knowledge describes the internal predisposed essence of all Forms and the need for a superior being to extract them from the student, Aristotle’s outlook resides as more reliable and realistic due to his beliefs in the premise of knowledge in the sensation and perception, with continuing development in memory, experience, art and science, and, ultimately, true wisdom.

We as a culture have become entirely numb to the beauty that comes with living a simple and observant life. The saying that ignorance is bliss does come from very real sentiment, some of which our dynamic society could benefit from. Since the birth of capitalism and enlightenment, which were well enough intentioned at the start, mankind has isolated itself from life as much as it has tried to control and understand it. In a superficial mission to become closer to the earth and better enjoy life, we have lost its true meaning. Instead of simply taking delight in the wonders of the world, we have mathematized its essence and extracted the mystery that makes the human experience so rewarding. Although the knowledge gained over the past 400 years has been profitable and constructive, with all the progress comes a greater evil. Congruent to Vico’s concerns with this new found urgency for advancement, I find that the knowledge that we hold dear and fight so passionately for brings such pain and anger. One must wonder if we are better off living peacefully in the dark than scrambling through chaos grasping for fleeting

Knowledge, in itself, is nothing. It can even be a burden we are gathering tirelessly and than we carry it through a lifetime, climbing obstacles, overcoming challenges, our knowledge barely helping, and sometimes pulling us back instead.

Knowledge is defined to be facts, information, and skills acquired through experience or education. There are two categories that fall under knowledge; personal knowledge and shared knowledge. Shared knowledge refers to what “we know because.” It can also be defined as communicated and constructed knowledge; within culture, social norms, and semiotics. Personal knowledge refers to “I know because.” An expanded definition of personal knowledge refers to personal experiences, values, and perceptions. Shared knowledge changes and evolves over time because of methods that are continuously shared. It is assembled by a group of people. Personal knowledge, on the other hand, depends crucially on the experiences of a particular individual. It is gained

Knowledge lies at the foundation of everything in society. While it may not always be noticed, it is always present. This knowledge is used in an array of processes such as creativity, experimentation, analysis, and so much more. From process to process, or area of knowledge to area of knowledge, all knowledge incorporates the processes of both transformation and description in order to evolve as justifiable beliefs. Transformative knowledge includes the product of an individual’s implementation of their personal cognitive processes to challenge traditional perspectives, while descriptive knowledge results when individuals utilize the new perspectives, allowing fresh outlooks to be perceived. While all areas of knowledge incorporate the use of both processes, some may primarily use one or the other. This can be seen in the areas of art and natural sciences. Knowledge in arts seems to primarily describe the world, while knowledge in natural sciences seeks to transform it through innovation and much more.