The presentation of this entry does not indicate a desire on my part to start an Epistemology subsection, or something like that. The word epistemology as such implies a professional approach to philosophy, at least in so far as the jargon is concerned, but I believe that after so many great philosophers of the past have said so many great things on this subject already, the authentic philosophy of the twenty-first century belongs to the insightful originally-thinking dilettante, rather than to a stiff and self-important diploma-holding alumnus of a prestigious academic institution. My interest in the subject of knowledge is not systematic or theoretical, but out of the vast epistemological domain I rather prefer to pick and choose pieces which are of special, even if limited, interest to me, and to stay with them not at the expense, but to the simple omission of all others.
In Book II of his Method, Dèscartes says this: “I was thus led to infer that the ground for our opinions is far more custom and example than any certain knowledge.” This wonderful insight advances the importance of "certain knowledge." But, come to think of it, what is knowledge? Only good education can help us distinguish genuine knowledge from fake knowledge, and unfortunately, it is the latter, which we most often accept for the real thing.
Sir Francis Bacon must be commended for his famous dictum “Knowledge is power!” even if the attribution is rather suspect. (We know, for instance, that in 1658 our old friend Thomas Hobbes went on record with his own “scientia potentia est,” whereas a similar “finding” in Bacon’s works cannot be made directly, and indirectly is taken out of a different context.) It must be said, though, that this expression was so much loved in Russia during her Soviet days that it was turned into a popular Soviet slogan used without any attribution. But to anyone who is too eager to use this phrase indiscriminately, I suggest to do some thinking about what kind of “knowledge” exactly we are talking about here, and whether such knowledge, except for being used parenthetically, exists in absolute terms, and also whether a much more common type of “knowledge from authority” may have become a clever substitute made by the “authority,” in place of that elusive treasure for which Wotan/Odin had once given up his eye.
Playing the cynic here, I may rephrase this pseudo-Baconian gem with one of perhaps even greater practical value: “Knowledge is Propaganda!” But maybe it would be still fairer to say,--- "Knowledge Is… Take Your Pick!"
Leaving my not-very-nice versions of “Knowledge is…” to the further scrutiny of the reader, I am taking a leap to the 46th Chapter of Hobbes’s Leviathan, where we can meet another knowledge impersonator, this time caught by the wonderful Englishman in a display of exceptional perspicacity:
“Nor are we to give that name (“knowledge”) to that, which is gotten by reasoning from the authority of books, because it is not by reasoning from the cause to the effect, nor from the effect to the cause; and is not knowledge, but faith.”
In other words, adopting Hobbesian parlance, “knowledge” from authority is faith! Considering that the only object of our faith ought to be God Himself, our worship of any other authority therefore constitutes the abominable sin of idol-worshiping, and, if nothing else, it must at least offend our religious sensibilities!
In Book II of his Method, Dèscartes says this: “I was thus led to infer that the ground for our opinions is far more custom and example than any certain knowledge.” This wonderful insight advances the importance of "certain knowledge." But, come to think of it, what is knowledge? Only good education can help us distinguish genuine knowledge from fake knowledge, and unfortunately, it is the latter, which we most often accept for the real thing.
Sir Francis Bacon must be commended for his famous dictum “Knowledge is power!” even if the attribution is rather suspect. (We know, for instance, that in 1658 our old friend Thomas Hobbes went on record with his own “scientia potentia est,” whereas a similar “finding” in Bacon’s works cannot be made directly, and indirectly is taken out of a different context.) It must be said, though, that this expression was so much loved in Russia during her Soviet days that it was turned into a popular Soviet slogan used without any attribution. But to anyone who is too eager to use this phrase indiscriminately, I suggest to do some thinking about what kind of “knowledge” exactly we are talking about here, and whether such knowledge, except for being used parenthetically, exists in absolute terms, and also whether a much more common type of “knowledge from authority” may have become a clever substitute made by the “authority,” in place of that elusive treasure for which Wotan/Odin had once given up his eye.
Playing the cynic here, I may rephrase this pseudo-Baconian gem with one of perhaps even greater practical value: “Knowledge is Propaganda!” But maybe it would be still fairer to say,--- "Knowledge Is… Take Your Pick!"
Leaving my not-very-nice versions of “Knowledge is…” to the further scrutiny of the reader, I am taking a leap to the 46th Chapter of Hobbes’s Leviathan, where we can meet another knowledge impersonator, this time caught by the wonderful Englishman in a display of exceptional perspicacity:
“Nor are we to give that name (“knowledge”) to that, which is gotten by reasoning from the authority of books, because it is not by reasoning from the cause to the effect, nor from the effect to the cause; and is not knowledge, but faith.”
In other words, adopting Hobbesian parlance, “knowledge” from authority is faith! Considering that the only object of our faith ought to be God Himself, our worship of any other authority therefore constitutes the abominable sin of idol-worshiping, and, if nothing else, it must at least offend our religious sensibilities!
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