What Can Knowledge do to our Future

What Should be the Role of Knowledge in Our Life?

I wrote, knowledge should trail wisdom. How can we make it happen? What all should make up knowledge? Are we on the correct path?

I think, in this connection, something can be learned from the way the effect of COVID is getting distributed to countries. Countries that are known to be treasuries of knowledge, as well as those that are scientifically current, seem to face the same threat as that of all other nations, if not more.

Is it just a matter of complacency? Is it the law of diminishing returns in action? Well, I would like to look at this from a different perspective.

As our knowledge increases, the irrational content in whatever we absorb also, goes up. Because of this, and since the world is more literate now, that too on matters of greater complexity, we tend to go overboard also, more often. So, it rather becomes one of lack of 'complacency', where, one reacts disproportionately, whether lightly or harshly. Also, the effect of such a mistake shall be much more pronounced and long-lasting, compared to the 'easy' times of the past.

To learn more about this, we need to study about the different aspects of knowledge itself, like its structure, composition, volatility and other static and dynamic elements.

What is knowledge? Why should it have a future?

Knowledge, in fact refers to awareness of, or familiarity with, various objects, events, ideas, or ways of doing things. This can be further refined or redefined, grouped differently, and placed as the primary trigger, humans look for. In this sense, there can be a satiated feeling at appropriate junctures, effectively becoming the real force that shapes our destiny.

Knowledge also specifies the intellectual transactions that take place on all of the above, and further transactions on the results of those. Human imagination is the only limit to these transactions, which flourish depending on the ability of abstraction. In this sense, knowledge need not have an end, or a beginning, its inherent beauty being enthralling enough.

I think there is room for confusion. Our current idea about knowledge does not reflect these mutually exclusive constraints. To make matters clear, we need to see knowledge as something constituting of two different parts.

One, things that are necessary for the desirable progression of life, both for meeting the essential needs of living, and for other requirements, like recreation. All are a party to this, and they derive knowledge from whatever avenues are open, and to whatever extent, the prevailing circumstances may necessitate. Also, one may not even be fully aware about this. This is true for all forms of life, and, no life will ever be in peril, on this account. Notable exception, of course, is a human, who regularly meet with injuries, like consuming a poisonous substance by mistake, or venturing into the unknowns. Clearly, these mostly originate from within. (Strangely, rather than looking for the crux of this issue, we humans are avoiding it with gems of wisdom that effectively silence every doubting Thomas. Like, to err is human)

Two, an important one of a variety of things we choose to adopt, hold, or consider greater than life itself, for various reasons that have no direct link with life. Not all can engage in this manner. It calls for certain transactions of the mind, and the propensity for which needs to be cultivated beforehand. And for this, human race already have elaborate arrangements in place, flourishing everywhere as the education system.

Now comes the interesting part. Whenever we speak of knowledge, and hold knowledge at a very high pedestal, we are equating it with the former. Wisdom, in fact the most valued human attribute, is but a crystallized form of this. At all other times, like formulating methods, or contents, for various activities, it is the latter that is in our minds. Consequently, it is not possible to make an unequivocal definition. Or, we have no conclusive knowledge about knowledge.

If it is so, how can we make it a little more clear? I think we need to define knowledge as two separate entities, and allocate a different word for each. In the former sense, knowledge is something found in all forms of life, the foundation of which being what is widely known as instinct. In case of humans too, which in noway becomes a threat. Now let us say, the word knowledge denotes the latter meaning. In this sense, knowledge, in fact becomes an unintended consequence of our engagement with all and sundry, the exact reason for which is yet to be arrived at. And, knowledge will certainly have a definable future, if we are to unearth a reason for this particular engagement, and we happen to be successful in manipulating it effectively.

Leaving that apart, the very reason, which made humans engage with one another and join into a society, is not a static one, and would have been evolving. That also, always acted upon by new knowledge and fresh experience, which are constantly altering our lifestyle. And now it has come to acquire a shape that is considerably different from the original one. In fact such slow changes were taking place all along, and that was making us fit for the times, at any instant. Presently too, our lifestyle suits us, where, since we are now in the age of domain knowledge, and our compartmentalized wisdom enable us in answering each specific issue, as and when it confronts us. Consequently, we, I mean, the ones who can afford to lead comfortably, this lifestyle, neither will have the time nor the occasion to confront knowledge as a non-specific entity. (Others however do it by habit, leading to social disharmony!)

We however continue to have our learning process or education, as it was designed or established long ago to suit such an entity. Which perhaps would have been a good fit for the idea of knowledge that was extant, then.

As noted, we now need to derive a clear understanding of knowledge. Then we can plan a new social and professional structure, one that is a good fit for the current times. In fact what we commonly encounter, a constant mismatch between the education and the employ-ability of the ones available for jobs, is an indication that it is not at all clear, now.

If so, what all needs to be done? What can enable us to uncover the correct idea of the word, knowledge, say always and every time? Which is fairly urgent, since, you see, knowledge has not been protecting us at all, from stupidity.

Let us now have another look at knowledge.

I think, as we all are aware, knowledge comes from learning. I also think, here there are two significant issues. What we learn, and how we learn.

All that one learns can be broadly classified into two. One, which cannot be made to disobey mathematical relationships or laws and remains so, while adding new laws or relationships or other abstractions to support or justify whatever. Two, which cannot be made to obey mathematical relationships or laws, and remains so, while adding new laws or relationships or other abstractions to support or justify whatever. The total repository of knowledge, in a large multitude of classifications like science, arts, fact, fiction, etc., as far as human race goes, lies as part of the former. The only exception, philosophy, and all its variants, like spirituality, constitute the latter.

As long as we learn the former in any of its classifications, there is no occasion for an unanswerable question. Every question is welcome here, and whenever we come across one, we feel happy to have faced another one. If we already know the answer, by giving us a stage to show or showcase our caliber, and if not, by showing an us opportunity to learn and improve the same, it adds new value. But, when it comes to the latter, there will never be an instance of a fresh answer that is unquestionable. Every new answer is unwelcome, unless found acceptable when gauged against certain abstract beliefs of contextual relevance.

Since we use the same word, knowledge, in both the above cases, certain confusion is sure to occur. For example, in matters related to the former, knowledge, almost always should be pointing to something real or tangible. Also, all that can happen as a consequence shall ultimately lead to, a more or less permanent or physical change of material, which in most cases results in something good. Whereas for the latter, knowledge can convey ideas only in the abstract. Also, any fresh change that may occur, even when are not of permanent effect, results in disturbing the prevailing harmony and peace.

I am sure, our forefathers came to adopt the easiest way of maintaining some sort of a balance here. Introduce a new entity that raises doubt for every answer of the former, while making it easy to answer once for all, every question of the latter.

As a result, in the material plane, changes are always aplenty. But the world is always eager to welcome a change, and derive whatever fruits it can offer. And that is making the world, a better place to live.

Also because of this, in the spiritual plane, the world is always with a closed mind, and any suggestion of a change gets suppressed instantaneously and harshly. Here, the world is not at all willing to admit a change, and disturb the tranquility that exists. And over time, this particular entity came to be formalized and more or less solidified as god. And god also is meant to make the world a better place to live.

This would have been the happy state of affairs that existed in our past, and it could continue in this manner as long as the changes that were taking place in the material plane did not lead to a marked change in the spiritual plane. However, ever since the industrial revolution, we have been facing new developments in all areas of the material plane, which in many cases, directly question the equilibrium that exists in the spiritual plane.

From the above, it is clear that just by stopping the use of the same words to signify knowledge and allied transactions of the mind in both spiritual and material planes, all such incongruities, variations, and other disturbances can be brought to an end. Suppose we retain the word knowledge, only for such transactions of the material plane. And say, we invent a new word, or a few words, to denote exclusively, intellectual transactions of the spirit. Wherever reference is made to the spiritual, or the material, there will be no room at all, for a doubt, and the response shall be unique.

In fact we can see this, the mixing up of the spiritual plane and the material plane, as another error, the ancients made. We did away with many, like the concept of a Geocentric universe, or the one of considering diseases as nothing else but the wrath of god. Liberating the idea of knowledge from the spiritual plane of life, could be the next one.

For all, the style of acquiring knowledge, as proposed in my essay 'Is There Another way to Learn', is a good answer. Choose the topics to master, or the area of learning, in such a way, where, each one will naturally itself, identify fully with the concept, one is currently learning. For example, theology, rather than mathematics, will instantly appeal to the young ones, the whole subject having quite a good connection with the characters they are already familiar with. When they grow up to get involved in the nuts and bolts of life and living, it can make a graceful exit, as it is happening now with the enthralling and delightful childhood stories. Also, abstract topics like mathematics will be get a warm welcome from the elder ones, who will find it a good fit for those nuts and bolts. Result: a society that is always at ease with itself.