Opinions of Experts in the Search for Knowledge - Research Paper Example

How important are the opinions of experts in the search for knowledge? Since the times of antiquity, man has been preoccupied with the search for knowledge. It is even safe to say that it has accompanied and facilitated human development throughout the ages. Today, the process continues and the quest for knowledge is present in all aspects of human endeavor. Certainly, there are several means developed to achieve this but the most important point out of this fact is that methods became systematic and scientific that enabled people to identify and acquire knowledge in several ways. These also paved the way for the classification by which individuals can identify and acquire knowledge. This is where the expert and the ordinary individuals diverge, in the way they form their opinion, then acquire and interpret knowledge. Who is an Expert? According to Christine Hogan (2000), “an expert is a person with a high level of intelligence, skills or knowledge in a particular sphere, reinforced by publicity and honours by others, by research and publications” (57). A more complicated definition was posited by Kurz-Milcke and Gigerenzer (2004), who stressed that an expert is a social figure in the distribution of knowledge – those who, in comparison to most, not only have more knowledge, but also are able to manage knowledge transfers (42). The authors further explained that an expert can only become an expert by way of his or her performances wherein he or she translates and integrates knowledge into popular meaning systems (42). And so, a learned person who has merely acquired knowledge but has not displayed or demonstrated his learning cannot be considered one. Society will not accord him or her the status of an expert unless a work or several works were published that would support his being so. No one can claim such title or role without the explicit consent of many individuals, institutions and organizations. It is, hence, easy, based on the previous two definitions, to identify whether one is interacting with an expert. An expert is someone who has previous knowledge or expertise on the subject and also he or she is known to have demonstrated those characteristics, one who built his reputation, translating it into a status and recognition from the society he belongs. An individual will know that he is talking with an expert if that person speaks authoritatively, especially basing from his specialized skills and experiences in addition to the credibility he has earned in the society. The society reinforces this with recognition since its institutions value performance and contributions to the continuing search for knowledge. The above definitions also reveal an important variable - why an expert’s opinion is valuable and this is demonstrated in several areas of knowledge. The most obvious is science. Discovering knowledge in this area calls for methodology and a high degree of precision that requires expertise, skills and experience. For instance, it would be unthinkable to have a painter as a resource person in an experiment investigating nuclear fission. While such individual can infer based from his senses and perceptions – as he does in his artistic endeavors - his previous artistic knowledge, his skills on the canvas and creative experiences are not enough to significantly contribute anything of value to the entire undertaking. Or, that this paper, will not be credible if I have not supported my arguments with statements from experts on the subject. I will be merely expressing an opinion, and that was that – it will have no bearing whatsoever in the academic community, never taken seriously, since my points would be one-sided and could probably qualify as a rant. A key concept here is “credibility.” If a person is an expert, then he has all his knowledge, skills, status and recognition to support whatever opinion he will make. People will know that his inferences are not mere figments of his imagination but valid points taken from facts that he knows. Credibility can only be earned when it represents established traditions in a person. Through learning, an individual becomes an expert by acquiring knowledge and by being designated by such traditions and the institutions that perpetuate them as an expert on a specific sphere. Role of the Society The kind of advanced industrial society that we have today requires an extreme specialization of knowledge and information. This underscores the importance given to the role of experts. These experts are called upon to create ways to better the way we live. A scientist is relied upon to discover new useful things such as green energy or new methods of agriculture. An artists is expected to cover the emotional and aesthetic needs of people. Put in another way, experts are important because they address problems that are equally specific, needing the application of complex knowledge and information. Pregel and McHale (1977) remarked the modern society that we have today has bred a wide range of problems that can usually be solved by scientific examination, calling for the skills of experts (32). The degree of importance came to resemble the concept of necessity, wherein without experts, institutions, systems and social processes, among others may collapse. Finally, it is also important to underscore that it is inevitably tied with the search for truth because this latter is discovered once knowledge is attained. Afterwards, according to Tillich and Palmer (1990), a natural system of thought and action will be established, particularly since the “truth was conceived as the truth about life as a whole, embracing politics, ethics, aesthetics, religion” (184). Sometimes, truth can become subjective because people tend to interpret data and information according to their individual perspectives that are often clouded by personal biases. They are also more prone to relying on their senses and intuition. Scientific experts distinguish themselves from this lot because they usually are informed and objective observers. Or, if this is not the case, at least their opinions would inevitably be based on facts, because that is how they were trained to act. This also works the same way in the area of the arts. An expert artist needs to bank on his emotion and perception instead of the clinical knowledge possessed by scientists in order to create visually appealing pieces. When experts hinder knowledge Experts, however, do not always facilitate the acquisition of knowledge. Their very strength - their knowledge, skills and authority - can also become their weaknesses. There is this contention that today experts are at risk of being irrelevant and that heeding what they have to say may hinder the search for knowledge. The reason for this is simple: because of technology and the consequent information explosion, changes are occurring at a very fast pace. A skill, information or a “truth” may be rendered obsolete or no longer applicable because the development is happening so fast. For example, an IT expert who graduated in 2000 can no longer have the necessary knowledge, skills and expertise to fix the latest personal computer because the computers and its components are constantly being updated. Unless, experts continue to train and update their skills, their opinions may no longer be effective or reliable because they are already outdated. Experts could stubbornly resist change and try to protect traditional knowledge even when there is a need to revise, modify or change them. It is in this respect, wherein ordinary people are more fortunate. As they rely on instincts, they are more likely to adapt and provide a sounder perspective in doing things within an environment that is in constant flux. All in all, it helps to listen to the experts. As a matter of fact, it is important. They have previous knowledge as well as the expertise and skills in order to navigate the world in man’s quest for knowledge. But too much of it can risk individuals to be boxed – restricted - and unable to- or poorly cope with the trajectory of changes happening today. Knowledge and truth would prove to be elusive. References Hogan, Christine. Facilitating empowerment: a handbook for facilitators, trainers and individuals. Sterling, VA: Kogan Page Publishers, 2000. Kurz-Milcke, Elke and Gigerenzer, Gerd. Experts in science and society. Berlin: Springer, 2004. Pregel, Boris and McHale, John. Environment and society in transition. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers, 1977. Tillich, Paul and Palmer, Michael. Writings in the philosophy of culture. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, 1990. Read More