Reexamination Of Knowledge

Knowledge can be defined as information or facts derived from our emotion, reason, logic and perception. We strive to study the nature of knowledge, but at times, knowledge that is once “accepted…is sometimes discarded tomorrow.” To discard something is to vehemently reject it. Discarding knowledge that was once accepted raises many knowledge issues such as “To what extent is the knowledge we have temporary?” and “What causes progress in the production of knowledge?” However, the overarching issue of knowledge is “To what extent is discarding what is accepted now crucial to the process of gaining new knowledge?” Although some may argue that the revision of knowledge is fruitless, I believe that reexamination of knowledge is crucial in maintaining progress towards obtaining true knowledge and understanding the nature of knowledge, especially in the areas of history, ethics, and natural sciences.

History can be defined as the written record of current traces of past events. With this definition, history, as an area of knowledge, can rarely portray a complete picture because historians may not uncover all of the evidence of an event. This implies that history lacks complete certainty, like the natural and human sciences, and as a result, there are a lot of “gray areas” in which there is not enough evidence to deduce, with certainty, what actually occurred. In these “gray areas,” it is important to note that historians may include only the perspective of an event that will be accepted by the society they live in. But as more evidence is uncovered, past theories are re-evaluated and old theories are discarded.

The definition of history and the scope of the area of knowledge lead me to the following knowledge issue: “Is history, an a...

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...s Principle that helps scientists predict the change in equilibrium. There are some static laws that have not changed, or may not change, due to the abundance of evidence for it, no matter the amount of new technology that is created to help the progression of knowledge in natural sciences.

It is important to note that knowledge, especially in the areas of history, ethics, and science, is dependent on the revision of previous established facts. Amendments and reviewing knowledge accepted today helps us progress in our understanding of the essence of knowledge and the obtainment of knowledge in various areas. I think my IB History SL teacher put it best when she stated during her lecture on the different theories of the inception of World War II, “Revising knowledge may seem like taking a step back, but sometimes we need to take a step back to take a step forward.”