Variations of Knowledge in The Arts and Natural Sciences

The two areas of knowledge that I am going to explore are The Arts and The Natural Sciences. In relation to the question, my initial perspective is that the Arts is an area of knowledge that is somewhat contentious due to its subjective nature, as firstly it can be hard to accept something as art. Conversely, the Natural Sciences is an area of knowledge that is based on objective truths and therefore when I originally approached this question, I thought that knowledge can be accepted, and then discarded when it is proven wrong in this area of knowledge.

Firstly, I must use definition theory to define “knowledge”, which is “facts, information, and skills acquired through experience or education; the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject” . However, using definition theory to find the meaning of a word can present knowledge issues. This is because although the definition may seem correct, there are often borderline cases and counter-examples that can be thought of. The main problem with finding the meaning of a word through dictionary definitions is that the definition is given through the use of other words This leaves us trapped in an endless circle of words, with the same knowledge issues .The definitions between different dictionaries can also differ, which again presents another knowledge issue that definitions can be subjective. My personal opinion of definition theory is that although it is beneficial in that it provides an established statement, the knowledge issues that it presents are substantial enough that it cannot be replied upon exclusively as a way of understanding a word.

In regards to The Arts, I have found the issue of defining what art is, and what it is not. This in turn leads to the problem ...

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...scarded is truly dependent on the area of knowledge, which has been explored through this essay. I have noticed that within the arts for example, knowledge is very difficult to be accepted in the first place due to its subjective nature. This can therefore make discarding knowledge practically impossible. In contrast, within the Natural Sciences I have noticed that, although there may be problems with the validity of the information, knowledge is readily accepted once proved. This knowledge is commonly accepted as laws of science, and once this information is disproved then the knowledge is effectively discarded, as it is no use to people anymore. Therefore I can conclude that we must observe the area in which the knowledge is a part of before we can decide whether or not knowledge can be accepted, let alone discarded, due to the subjective of the world we live in.