Theory on Knowledge Question, Essay Example

Question

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

Response

The statement may be pointing out key issues on knowledge and its application today. First, it is important to note that knowledge dates back to as early as the history of humanity. Human beings have been pursuing knowledge in different areas including psychology, religion, economics, environment, medicine, and other areas. Over the years, different areas of knowledge have developed as more research is undertaken, and as the society transforms, new discoveries are made leading to an increase in the volume of knowledge in place. This essay will look into the way knowledge that is accepted today is sometimes discarded tomorrow according to philosophy.

One of the knowledge issues raised by this statement is the issue of knowledge accuracy. The issue of accuracy of knowledge affects greatly the relevance of knowledge at different times. It is argued that knowledge can be accurate depending on the person, and its contextual use. However, this still does not address the standard measure on the accuracy of knowledge. As seen, no standard and comprehensive measure has been undertaken to validate the accuracy of knowledge in a given field. For instance, earlier knowledge on the universe advanced that the sun rotates around the earth. This position was held until when it was discovered that the earth rotates around the sun. In this context, the knowledge held earlier supported by religious leaders at the time was justified and accepted only for the advancements in science to bring up facts on the issue. In other words, when knowledge is viewed in the context of its accuracy it is hard to determine because it has room for change.

The second issue raised by this statement is the dynamism that is found within a given knowledge area. For instance, knowledge of the universe gets to be dynamic due to the new additions made on the knowledge held before. Looking at the case of the stars, the knowledge held on the stars centuries ago has been changed over time. Before, stars were considered as part of the universe; however, little knowledge was known as regards their size, and their source for the light they reflect on earth. In the field of philosophy, many changes have been reported as regards to the size of the star, and their source of light. Today, stars are known as large heavenly bodies that illuminate light from the sun. This shows that knowledge may be said to be dynamic, and may change with time depending on the new discoveries that are made. This leads many to view knowledge as dynamic, as opposed to static in nature. Having knowledge as dynamic implies that it can change depending on the times, and the findings of the time. This further implies that knowledge, which is accepted today, may change and be irrelevant in the future making it to be discarded.

Thirdly, the topic statement leads one to the aspect of new information that adds to a given knowledge. Knowledge in a given field may not be said to be discrete, for new information may just add up to a given knowledge level leading to the former knowledge being discarded. This may be understood in the context of much new information that trickles in today, and will trickle in the future. The question that comes into play relates to the source of new information. Do the new people lead to new information? Is the new technology today and that that will come in future changing knowledge? The answers to these questions perhaps say a lot about knowledge as relates to the flow of new information. New information on a given knowledge area may lead previous knowledge to be discarded. For instance, new knowledge on computer softwares, such as, MS Word led to the knowledge on typewriters to be discarded. This is because most offices employ the computer in typesetting documents. This may change in the future as new knowledge comes as regards the information technology field.

The other issue that this statement raises is the issue of culture of inquiry, and contentment as regards to knowledge. The development of a new culture of inquiry today has greatly affected the state of knowledge, and has likely impacts on the knowledge that will be used tomorrow. Indeed, the knowledge that is acceptable today may turn and be discarded tomorrow due to the development of new knowledge from new inquiries. The current world has taken on a culture of inquiry, for people inquire more on the current knowledge. The culture of inquiry into current issues has led to the development of new knowledge. If the current culture of inquiry continues into the future, certain new findings will be made on the current knowledge. The development of new knowledge often has an impact on the relevance of the current knowledge. In this context, new knowledge that was relevant would be discarded. For instance, in the information technology area, the development of new knowledge on internet retailing, will lead to future changes in the way this knowledge is perceived, and practiced. This will lead to the current knowledge being discarded.

In addition, this statement also brings out the concept of relativity of wrong. A number of scholars have argued that knowledge is relative in terms of its reliability. This means that knowledge that is considered reliable today may fail to stand the test of reliability in the future. The reliability of knowledge in terms of being right or wrong according to this view is relative meaning that one may not claim that knowledge is perfect. This means that knowledge may be judged as accurate depending on the contextual framework in place. According to the relativity principle, knowledge that may fail the test in one context may be found to be of value in the other context. This may be put in the context of time where the knowledge, which is found relevant today, may be discarded in the future. The change in time may cause different people to perceive knowledge on a given area differently. For instance, the knowledge on the motor trains may be discarded in the future, due to increased knowledge on electric trains.

The statement, ‘That which is accepted as knowledge today is sometimes discarded tomorrow’ brings out the issue of the truth of knowledge. It is argued by many scholars that truths must be linked to information for it to become knowledge. For instance, Plato characterized truth as eternal, meaning that the knowledge of truth will remain to serve as long as it can. However, the modern days have put this statement to test, for knowledge in the modern day and in the future may be determined by the authorities in that field. For instance, new knowledge in the field of information technology may have to be rated according to the standards of the field. In other words, if the relevant bodies in this field in the future change knowledge; then the past knowledge may end up being discarded. In other words, new knowledge that would be developed in the future through research may end up leaving the past knowledge to be discarded. In his argument, Aristotle argues that, although human beings acquire new knowledge after their birth, they already have innate knowledge. According to him, the acquired knowledge is likely to fade with time, but the innate one remains intact.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the statement, ‘That which is accepted as knowledge today is sometimes discarded tomorrow’ brings out a number of issues on the existence of knowledge, and the possibility of knowledge being discarded in the future. It is evident from the study that present knowledge may end up being discarded in the future after being irrelevant. Relevance in the way knowledge is shared and used today may change with time according to diverse variables. In essence, knowledge is not fixed, and changes from time to the other. There is a high likelihood that knowledge in a given field, which is of high value today may lose its relevance with the development of new knowledge. When knowledge loses its relevance then there is a high likelihood that this given knowledge would be discarded at that time.