Theory of Knowledge - Case Study Example

Theory of Knowledge "The knowledge that we value the most is the knowledge for which we can provide the strongest justification." To what extent would you agree with this claim? When it comes to understanding knowledge and the value of certain types as well as units of knowledge, justification becomes quite important. However, justification alone is not the strongest factor for assigning value to knowledge since other measures can also be used to assess how value can be given to a piece of knowledge. To fully understand the idea of justification giving value to knowledge, we must not only consider justification as a measure but also look at other means by which knowledge can be assigned value. However, once those elements come together, it becomes clear that the justification of knowledge does not have to be right or wrong, it simply has to be strong in order for the knowledge itself to have value. The first example in this regard comes from Plato himself and Cornford (2003) explains Plato’s ideas about the value of knowledge by saying that while knowledge itself is valuable, opinion and beliefs may affect the manner in which knowledge is valued. While it may be entirely possible to give knowledge a value through justification that comes from perception or even experimentation, personal opinion or the beliefs may form a stronger basis on which knowledge is valued. In fact, it is entirely possible that personal opinion or belief may decrease the justification of knowledge to the point that it becomes valueless. For example, a person who holds the firm belief that there is a god may not be convinced through any measure or even evidence that there is no such entity as god. In essence, such a person may give more value to their belief that there is a god and thus have opinions based on the presence of god rather than to look at the piece of knowledge in an objective manner. There may be no real justification for a person to believe that there actually is a god but simply by having the kind of opinion that supports the idea of god will give them valuable knowledge about the existence of god. However, in such matters the idea of relativism remains quite strong since what is valued as justifiable knowledge by one individual may not be justifiable to another. Individual justification for knowledge may also be applied to more secular positions such as political opinions and even economic ideologies. In essence, wherever there can be a debate about the facts and even the interpretation of the facts, the value of knowledge may not solely depend on the justification provided for it but can also extend to include the opinions of the person formed by other pieces of knowledge. This idea was explored in depth by Kvanvig (2003) who suggests that the value of knowledge may not depend completely or even primarily on the scientific and empirical justification for it. This certainly goes against the fundamental idea that factual knowledge is more important than belief itself since the argument presented by the author is that the value of knowledge may be impossible to determine. However, he does present the argument noted by Socrates that in practical terms, knowledge and belief may both be used to serve the purposes of the individual. This the argument taken a step further by Kvanvig (2003) who notes that the value of knowledge must be more than the opinions and beliefs as well as any experiments that go towards forming that knowledge in the first place. Therefore, for some parts and pieces of knowledge, simple belief may be more important in creating value than any amount of justification which can be provided for it. In terms of justification, the idea of reliability does not stand when it comes to belief since beliefs are held to be true to begin with. Internalized justifications for those beliefs is certainly not equated with knowledge but considered to be justified beliefs that may even be held dearer than knowledge itself. This connects directly with the idea of virtuous true belief being more valuable than simple beliefs that are held to be true. In this manner, beliefs that are unjustifiable may also depend on the way knowledge is imparted to an individual. For example, a person may be given the knowledge throughout life that one gender is always inferior to the other and thus s/he may spend a lifetime going through situations that not only assert this belief but also build on it. In fact, if any information or experience is found to be counter to this belief it may be ignored entirely to the point that it is completely filtered out. Adding the idea of holding such beliefs to be virtuous can only enhance the particular piece of knowledge being more valuable and justifiable even though it is something that is clearly doubtful. In fact, the very nature of knowledge becomes ethereal when we consider that knowledge and even beliefs based on a piece of knowledge can be twisted or even entirely fabricated by someone. For example a child can believe in the existence of Santa Claus and firmly adhere to the idea that Santa brings gifts by coming down his/her chimney. The justification for this belief is not only the reliability of the information obtained from his/her parents but also the evidence left by Santa of his visits. However, this belief and the knowledge about Santa may be destroyed quite quickly if the child is told that Santa does not exist in reality but is only a figment of imagination. For the child, the justification for the existence of Santa Claus is quite right since it is connected with something which is not only beneficial for the child; it also provides him/her with value. This idea can also be led to explain why some individuals would so strongly believe in an idea that they would be willing to die for it and kill for it regardless of the idea being correct. Certainly, a piece of knowledge that is held so dear that a person is willing to kill in the name of it must have a strong justification and the stronger the justification given for the piece of knowledge, the more likely is a person to believe in it. Perhaps the idea of human rationality and reasoning also connects with the notion of the value of knowledge. That is to say, whatever can be reasoned and rationalized can be given value and thus justified. A terrorist planning to kill himself and others at the same time may rationalize that he is simply doing this since he has no other option. His reasoning for killing himself may also be dependant upon getting eternal life as a martyr and all the blessings which can be obtained in an afterlife. Even if he has no real knowledge of such rewards waiting for him, the simple reassurance that he has been given through the words of others may be quite enough. In conclusion, it becomes easy to say that beliefs and opinions may be as important as the rational justifications given to assign value to knowledge. However, the justification which is based on notions other than rationality may be equally strong as compared to a justification that comes through rational thought or scientific data. In fact, such justification may actually be stronger than what can be proved through scientific means. Therefore, the justification or the reason behind the value of knowledge may not be as important as the strength carried by the given justification. Word Count: 1, 276 Works Cited Cornford, F. 2003, Platos Theory of Knowledge, Dover. Kvanvig, J. 2003, The Value of Knowledge and the Pursuit of Understanding, Cambridge University Press. Read More