Examination of Major Epistemological Constraints - Essay Example

Similarly, it is fundamental to comprehend these terminologies for reasons of building a strong argument and supporting points with regards to the subject matter. A precise definition of epistemology is the study of nature, limits of the human understanding and origin of concepts and logical framework of various ideologies. However, there are some key points to note in epistemology for instance the possibility of various pulls of knowledge. Additionally, the kind of knowledge that is in question.

It further seeks to find out whether some knowledge is in born or all knowledge is acquired (Fumerton 2006, p.66). History, on the other hand, is the study and analysis of past chronological events, facts and knowledged that has either been documented or is evident in various aspects. One of the most significant way of predicting the future happenings is by using past historical events (Neustadt & May 1988, p.25). Similarly, in the intelligence, world history has been used greatly to learn the behavior and the reactions various armies, kingdoms, dynasties and empires.

However, in as much as history is playing a major role in the development intelligence, and further act as a learning tool, it also has various applicational limitations. There are several underlying factors that contribute to limiting history as a learning tool with regards to intelligence (Butterfield 1965, p.35). In the United Kingdom (UK), for example, the intelligence unit was termed as the invincible man by both government and the general public. Additionally, most of these operations were not heard of.

It was a silent movement, and most of its work was a secrete. Due to the high level of secrecy of the United Kingdom (UK) Secret Service, most of its operations were never documented hence limiting history as a tool for learning. In the early 20th century, most countries had spies who were responsible for gathering intelligence in a foreign country on behalf of their country. Due to this kind of operations it made documentation of the secret service strategies and operations extremely vulnerable.

If this kind of information would leak to another country through spying, then it could put the whole United Kingdom (UK) in jeopardy. As a consequence of this documented history of previous operations, it is very difficult to find hence cannot be used as a historical tool for learning purposes. The existence of the secret service was a major secret to a point that even the UK government denied the very exixtance of this unit in order to protect it from foreign spies and foreign units who sort information in the UK.

Another major limitation to using history as a tool of learning in regards to intelligence is that, in the United Kingdom, the documents that were used by the secret service were never kept by the Public Records Office (PRO). These records were exempted from storage by the Public Records Act of 1958. These records were famously know as the blanket exception records (Neustadt & May 1988, p.38). Similarly, the Act grants the chancellor exemption power to withhold these documents that were related to intelligence.

The death of basic or primary sources of information posed a great challenge and limitation to historians and other people who would want to use this form of history as a tool of learning and for scholarly purposes. The main aim for this secrecy was to intensify operational security and eliminate any prospects of external