Knowledge Is Knowledge Essay

Throughout history, many theories and perspectives have been around for years can be discarded after a better, more accurate theory is found making it more justifiable. A knowledge issue is raised on whether it is knowledge if it is discarded, as an American writer, Stephen Lawhead stated “Knowledge is a burden-once taken up, it can never be discarded.” As described in his statement, knowledge can't be discarded, which I agree with because if it is discarded in the first place, can one be certain that it was knowledge at all. Knowledge maybe forgotten, but it can’t be discarded because people will always be aware of it even if it is discarded by others as false. History is recorded based on the events happening at that time by the use of photographs, audio recording, notes and letters. People later may have different interpretations of the same single event and not all might be accepted as certain and true. As Rueben argued history doesn’t change, our interpretations do. This leads to the issue of it actually being knowledge in the first place with certainty because it was discarded later and determining which one is the right interpretation. History from the present can be viewed as interpreting the past, while relying on the aid of primary sources documented at the time to tell us the truth. The knowledge issue in this area of knowledge is determining which perspective of history is correct and whether history is fixed, if it is always being reconstructed with the passage of time as examined. The iron curtain illustrates this example because in 1949-1989 the Russian archives were inaccessible. Another area of knowledge that leads to changing, evolving and modify past theories is the natural sciences. As Kuhn once explained, “Sci...

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... would have significantly altered antiseptic measures today, and measures to prevent diseases from spreading. Sometimes even when a good paradigm shift takes place, the knowledge can be rejected because it goes against norms.

As one seeks to view history and the natural science with objectivity, it can be quite difficult with the numerous interpretations that lead to determining which one is certainly true. As the title stated the main knowledge issue raised is if it is knowledge at all if it’s discarded and if you can know with certainty it is knowledge. I argued that knowledge can't be discarded because it stays with a person like a burden even if it is wrong. Like the different perspectives in history and science, one can know all about them, it’s up to them to determine what is right, reconstruct and reinterpret it by looking at the evidence they deem important.