Perspective and the Pursuit of Knowledge, Essay Example

Knowledge refers to something that is known, which begs the question of what knowledge looks like in the absence of a knower’s perspective. Knowledge, however must be known by someone who possesses the perspective of the knower. As such, an examination of what factors undergird the production of universal or shared knowledge–collaborative effort or individual agency or a combination of both—is necessary. According to the 2015 edition of the Theory of Knowledge handbook,  “links between shared and personal knowledge… Clearly there are links and interactions between shared knowledge and personal knowledge. These are discussed in more depth in the knowledge framework” (“Theory of Knowledge Handbook”). As such, tje very idea of knowledge lacking a knower’s perspective is seemingly paradoxical and an oxymoron. However, this issue is not as easily discerned or reduced to such conclusions. There remains an ongoing dialogue regarding how knowledge is perceived as an external reality that must be discovered versus if knowledge merely represents an internal reality that is constructed. “Perspective” is a difficult notion to define, but it must be noted that perspective has vastly different connotations than biases. It varies on an idiosyncratic basis according to Ways of Knowing and Areas of Knowledge and is predicated on method of investigation. It seems fairly clear that the concept of knowledge mandates a knower’s perspective, so at the core of this debate is the notion of the pursuit of knowledge and the sentiment that knowledge can be discovered as a form of intuitive process (serendipity) or if it is deliberately constructed. There are several ways to broach this topic, but investigating knowledge, the perspective of the knower, and the pursuit of knowledge will follow the paradigm delineated above in order to derive meaningful conclusions about the ontological dimensions of knowledge and knowledge production.

The Perspective of the knower plays an integral part of the knowledge production process, and emotions can often amplify this nuanced process. Personal Knowledge represents a fruitful starting point, and defining it according to the Theory of Knowledge Guide will enhance defining and comprehending exactly what constitutes a knower’s perspective in addition to how the knower’s perspective makes up a component of knowledge itself. To add nuance to this discussion, one interesting argument to pursue would be if the knower’s perspective as a facet of one’s personal knowledge is intrinsically linked to shared or universal knowledge and a set of understandings. One poignant example of how emotions play a role in the knowledge production process is the memoir penned by Gerda Weissman Klein entitled All But my Life, which details her harrowing experiences as a Jewish girl who lived through the Holocaust and endured immense pain, suffering, and psychological trauma. The author details her personal experience of getting arrested by the Nazis in Poland along with her family. Her entire family was murdered but she was able to survive and lead a somewhat normal life in the aftermath of Nazi Germany. Through her memoir, she conveys personal, empirical knowledge from her perspective as the knower. Personal knowledge is informed by universal knowledge and concepts, however. Klein internalizes and understands her experiences in the labor and concentration camps in addition to her arduous journey across Russia on foot during winter within a political framework, as she is cognizant of the political agenda pursued by Hitler and the Nazis. She endures the pain and suffering in the camps and survives due to the fact that he possesses personal knowledge of the universal knowledge.

Works Cited

Dupin, Jacques. Joan Miró Life and Work. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc Publisher, 1962. Print.

Klein, Gerda Weissman. All But my Life. NNew York: Hill & Wang, 1957. Print.

“The Theory of Knowledge Guide: First Assessment 2015.” Diploma Programme. 2015. Web. 3 Dec. 2015. http://www.holyheart.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/ToK2015onwards.pdf