Knowledge Is Nothing More than the Systematic Organisation of Facts - Essay Example

of the Essay on Knowledge In the field of epistemology, the definition of knowledge is a matter ofon-going debate. A familiarity with something or someone is referred to as knowledge. This may include skills, descriptions, information and facts acquired through education or experience. It can refer to the practical or theoretical understanding of a subject. It can be less or more systematic or formal. It can be explicit, i.e. as with the theoretical understanding of a subject, or it can be implicit, i.e. as with expertise or practical skill. In order to be considered as knowledge three criteria must be met i.e., it must be believed, true and justified. This was classical definition of knowledge which was ultimately endorsed but initially was described by Plato. Some grasp of knowledge’s relationship to information is required by an understanding of knowledge. The difference between knowledge and information has long been the practice in everyday language (Daniel, 2006, pp. 36).“Knowledge is nothing more than the systematic organization of facts” is the main theme of this essay. This essay will discuss this statement in relation to two areas of knowledge, i.e. history and ethics. Furthermore, it will investigate the ways of knowing and the two areas of knowledge. The potential knowledge issues, the sort of real life situations which can be drawn out and the challenges and difficulties will also be addressed by this essay. Discussion The Areas of Knowledge The labeling and division of the knowledge we posses are referred to as the areas of knowledge. Eight different areas of knowledge are identified by the TOK course. Ethics and History are the two areas of knowledge, which I will consider. The study of how to live our lives morally or the moral philosophy is referred to as ethics. Ethics is a branch of knowledge which is concerned with moral principles. The issue of moral issues is an example of a key area of discussion in ethics. Conduct is influenced or governed by these moral principles. The study of morals is referred to as ethics. Since ethics is based on the mind of an individual, therefore, knowledge may be refuted by the idea of ethics. Ethics may be based on beliefs or religion or may be raised through our own experience. In order to list things as facts, there may not be a written formula booklet of ethics. Since ethics is created and related to the time we live now, therefore, it is not highly related to the past. An area of knowledge that studies the recorded past is referred to as history. Understanding of human behavior can be deepened through study of history. A continuous record of past trends or events, or the past events connected with something or someone, or the past considered as a whole or the study of past events is referred to as history (Marlene & Bereiter, 2006, pp. 97). History depends to some extent on the perspective from which it is studies and is constantly being reviewed and updated. In history, knowledge is all about learning the facts in a chronological order. The previous events are recalled by history in an organized and easy manner. At times, there are many statistics floating around with uncertainty attached to history. Facts can be chronological and systematic, however, difference in opinions can be led by the system and can persuade one to believe everything he or she read without resorting to other evidence. The Ways of Knowing A trait possessed by a knower through which he or she can manipulate and obtain knowledge is referred to as ways of knowing. The way in which we acquire knowledge about the world around us and figure out our relationship with it is referred to as the ways of knowing. Eight different ways of knowing are identified by TOK, i.e., memory, intuition, faith, imagination, reason, emotion, sense perception and language. However, a different method of knowledge is involved by each one of them, as they often dependent and intertwined on each other. Since each of us is affected in a different way by our emotion, therefore, it is hard to assess and measure. The way in which we acquire knowledge without the use of reason or inference is referred to as intuition (Phil, 2005, p. 322). Language is how we allow others to understand use, the way we express ourselves and the way in which we understand the world. In terms of the acquisition of knowledge, reason is traditionally portrayed as the opposite of emotion. The Potential Knowledge Issues One of the natural human activities is inquiry. A general understanding regarding the world is sought by people. It is recognized that future circumstances are affected by present circumstances. The amount of money one can earn later in life is determined by the education he/she will get. Observation is the key to inquiry. Observations can be made by understanding things through experience. We often make mistakes in day-to-day inquiries. By making deliberate and careful observations, scientists try to avoid mistakes. The discipline and systematic ordering of experience that lead to the development of knowledge are referred to as inquiry (Craig & Et al, 2007, pp.729). Knowing how to do something, knowing some feeling or person or knowing that something is the care refers to the word ‘know-how’ in knowledge. A planned method is involved within the conduct of inquiry. Real Life Situations that can be drawn My first argument is that knowledge is much more beyond than “identification of facts”, regardless of the systematic and organization of the facts. In terms of ability in knowledge, the lowest level is considered memorizing or knowing of facts. As a starting point, it is important. Good understanding must be gained by an individual from the knowledge; therefore, knowledge must be more than systematization of facts. An example of it can be found in psychology. To gain additional knowledge, a lot of experiments are performed in psychology. From the term ‘additional’, it means more refined knowledge besides the systematic facts. For instance, one of the knowledge that individuals develop through observations behavior of other people is social learning theory of Albert Bandura. After the well-known Bobo doll experiments performed in year 1977, this behavior modeling theory was put forward. In present world, this type of knowledge is far beyond than just identification of the systematic facts. The counterclaim for this argument can be that as a set of systematized facts, knowledge still has an important place. There is an importance of memorization of facts in many different fields. For instance, one needs to memorize the different ACTS, in the subject of law. But even then, only that individual becomes more successful, if she/he is aware of ways of pursuing such kind of knowledge in an effective manner. My second argument is that there is no doubt that facts need to be organized systematically. Facts can end up as a confused body of knowledge, if they are not in a proper order or sequence or just merely listed. They are qualifies as knowledge, once they are organized systematically. This basic step must be carried out first, although much more can be done with the knowledge. A main book is carried by every subject, which is preferred by the people. A body of knowledge is represented by this essentially in the form of facts that are highly organized and systematic. For example, Gray’s Anatomy is one of the famous books of natural sciences, specifically biology. In year1858 it was published. It remains a very accessible and influential book. This immensely useful book is essentially a systematic and well-organized set of facts. The counterclaim for such argument can be that knowledge is far more than merely facts that are systematic and well-organized. Knowledge is more about the awareness of truth or knowing something. One thing is having the facts, whereas, understanding them and being aware of them is another thing. One similar book may be read by two individuals, but depending upon a host of factors, past experience, grasp of language, ability to analyze and understanding, they may gain knowledge through the book in different ways. Conclusion The condition or fact of knowing something with familiarity gained through association or experience is also referred to as knowledge. Something that is reliable, that works, that is true or that is believed for pragmatic knowledge is considered as knowledge in history, whereas, data arranged in meaningful patterns is considered as information. In the field of epistemology, the definition of knowledge is a matter of on-going debate. A familiarity with something or someone is referred to as knowledge. This may include skills, descriptions, information and facts acquired through education or experience. It can refer to the practical or theoretical understanding of a subject. It can be less or more systematic or formal. It can be explicit, i.e., as with the theoretical understanding of a subject or it can be implicit, i.e., as with expertise or practical skill. Works Cited Brown, Phil. "Lay and professional ways of knowing." Medical Sociology: Health care and social change 4 (2005): 322. Retrieved from: http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=k-Gz9F406WoC&oi=fnd&pg=PA322&dq=The+Ways+of+Knowing&ots=Q_5T3V6t9h&sig=fbmKqsjz7EkaWiDgpsl-oSGZMN4#v=onepage&q=The%20Ways%20of%20Knowing&f=false Mitton, Craig, et al. "Knowledge transfer and exchange: review and synthesis of the literature." Milbank Quarterly 85.4 (2007): 729-768. Retrieved from: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1468-0009.2007.00506.x/abstract;jsessionid=2D4BAB6CD4D093B9665DFBF8BE562390.f04t02?deniedAccessCustomisedMessage=&userIsAuthenticated=false Scardamalia, Marlene, and Carl Bereiter. "Knowledge building: Theory, pedagogy, and technology." The Cambridge handbook of the learning sciences(2006): 97-115. Retrieved from: http://ikit.org/fulltext/2006_KBTheory.pdf Willingham, Daniel T. "How knowledge helps." American Educator 30.1 (2006): 30-37. 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