Wednesday, March 30, 2011

The Right to Knowledge

What is the value of knowledge?
How does knowledge differ from belief and
which of these is more valuable?
Is understanding more important than knowledge?
Is knowledge valuable because of its role in practical reasoning?
Has the concept of knowledge itself changed over history?
What is the difference between private and public knowledge?
What is the relationship of knowledge to consciousness?
What is the relationship of knowledge to conscience?
How can we know?

These are the many daunting questions that philosophers ask about the nature of knowledge.



In the meantime... we shall have the Right to Knowledge.


50 comments:

Miglaude said...

The idea of knowledge it is to make useful information simply accessible to the entire society. By setting, a way to maintain helpful knowledge will not only help our society to function better, but also increase productivity to our work. We should have a right to knowledge, as it is a way to have an open mind on everything.

Anonymous said...

There are so many ways to seek knowledge and just brushing up on different philosophers proves that. Some believe that knowledge is gained through doubt, and others by knowing every aspect of how something came to be and its purpose. Knowledge is just a universal idea. Who is to say what one person believes is wrong when someone else might just have a different perspective.

Not everything can be proven with science.

-surfershoes

michelle said...

We need Knowledge to be able to live in this world. knowledge is something that is always going to be here for you. we gain knowledge through new ideas and bad choices and through education. most people think that education is always gonna be here, so no one really goes to school.. but if its too late, what then? ..carpe the heck out of diem, and dont take advantage of something that is important to your life.

dumb or smart? its your choice.

Unknown said...

Knowledge is the perception of the agreement or disagreement of two ideas. I believe knowledge is a step further from just learning something. Knowledge is the ability to take skills you have acquired from a person through different experiences and create them into something more.

-Nicole Chaplin-

Terrance Carter said...

I believe that knowledge is something that is obtained through some kind of education, experience, and/or personal view. Next, I do not challenge the right to education, because I truly support this right.

Anonymous said...

To me knowledge is learning from life experiences. LP

Anonymous said...

Knowledge is power; if the rest of the world had access to the information we have here in America the world would be a better place. Needles to say, I agree with the right to knowledge. Gary Norris

Anonymous said...

I believe the military does need secrecy for security reasons. If that means the government is allowed to know citizens private information then so be it. I know I walk a straight line, which allows me to be at peace. How ever people who steal from the government need to be brought to justice because in the end that unethical person affects me.

Ann Marie

cd884 said...

It’s good to have a little knowledge on almost everything in the world. Something can be simple like cars, computers, and phones. It can also be a little more complicated like philosophies on different subjects. We should not be criticized if we know more than the average; we should be praised for our intelligence. We all have the right to knowledge.

Anonymous said...

Knowledge should never be forbidden from people, knowledge is a treasure that we all deserve and cannot be taken away from us. knowledge is not only important for people to comprehend many things but it is also healthy for the mind. Knowing is half the battle. GIL RO.

Anonymous said...

Knowledge is a power thing that can bring about great sparks of inspiration or cause times of mass destruction. Knowledge is a precise thing that must be handled and shared with care.


-F.C.

Anonymous said...

I think we need to have the right to knowledge. With Knowledge we can give information and teach others who need help. People take advantage of this gift that it's easily obtained. We get knowledge from many different places. For instance, the internet, books, school, etc. Take advantage of the opportunity that is given to you.

Francisco A.

Espy said...

The first thing that you need to realize as a person is that you don't know everything and that you will never know everything.Everyone deserves the right to seek knowledge. Knowledge is endless so if you want to know something, it's out there somewhere for you to access it.

Anonymous said...

The right to knowledge is a beautiful thing. Many people do not take the right to knowledge to the fullest extent. Some people are scarred or ashamed at what they might find if the find out something. The right to know is an advantage, take full use of it.

Luz Mery said...

Knowledge is a right that should not be taken away from anyone. Since we are born we explore this right. Everyone has a right to learn and explore. On a daily basis we learn from each other on everyday experiences. Knowledge is great and we should explore it to the max.

Anonymous said...

There is a big difference between knowledge and belief. The key word in knowledge is "know", and "believe" stems from belief. I would rather know something based on facts then believe something that is loosely based on facts or another persons beliefs. Knowledge opens up the doors to technological advancement, medical advancement, and other aspects of our lives that could benefit you or the human race as a whole. Belief cant really do that.

Fernanda A said...

To me knowledge is learning from facts and experiences. If you don't have knowledge its because you don't "know" something. You can understand it but it requires a lot of understanding to acquire knowledge. This is crucial to everyday life.
"All our knowledge begins with the senses, proceeds then to the understanding, and ends with reason. There is nothing higher than reason."
- Immanuel Kant

Anonymous said...

Knowledge gives you the critical thinking tools to gain better understanding, which in turn allows you to make more informed decisions to improve situations. I am better able to do things if I understand why and not just what.
Gabe

Ingrid J. said...

It is said that knowledge is power and I agree. It is not power to destroy or to dominate but to enhance, improve, edify and build-up for the future.

Anonymous said...

Knowledge can be many things and mean many different things to poeple. Its impossible to know everything about everything in the world. So it is important to educate and learn about the things that are essential to our surival, satisfy our interest, solidify our strengths, and rectify our weaknesses. I say this because unfortunately in some situations its not about what you know, but who you know. --KB

aquintana said...

Knowledge is different from belief because belief is an opinion without actual facts. More than a right knowledge is a choice but I do agree we should have the right to choose to know!

Mirror said...

The right of knowledge is sometimes limited by the economic resource, and that is so sad because inside people who don’t have enough money could be an undeveloped potential of knowledge that can be used to help humanity reach solutions for many unsolved problems.

Aimara Ors

Anonymous said...

If one is willing to learn, then they should have the right to unlimited knowledge. Man can never take away another man's knowledge. Sometimes we end up learning a little too much which can lead to negative consequences.

Eddie M.

Patricia Delgado said...

Knowledge can be define, as a clear perception of a truth or fact, erudition; skill from practice.
To perceive with certainty, to understand clearly, to have experience of something. The meaning involves the fact of understanding what can be acquire with experience or studies. And why Is valuable? because nobody can take it away from you once you learn it. After you have the knowledge to start and operate a successful business, you can do it over and over again.
In regards of the public and private knowledge, I can perceive private is about the type of knowledge can be for internal use only, for a determined group of people. In contrast with public knowledge can be share collectively.

In my personal opinion, we can know by adopting good learning skills. Knowledge is open to us 24/7 as long as we fully put our best interest to know more, to understand better, to communicate well and use our logical reasoning.


"If we would have new knowledge, we must get a whole world of new questions. Susanne K. Langer."

Unknown said...

Knowledge is necessary for advancement and understanding. The more you know the more you can achieve. One way knowledge is obtained is in school. Some countries might lack the resources to achieve this right, but knowledge is too important to leave out. And, ignoring the importance of knowledge will have devastating consequences.
Luisa Isla

kevin0121 said...

I agree with everyone, knowledge is one of the most important thing in life because without it we wouldn't be so advanced in technology and we will probably be still living in huts and tents. Also, we wouldn't know much about history and how our world became to be.

Janet Almonte said...

I believe that true knowledge is much more valuable than belief, however; without belief there would be little ambition for many in our society. To describe the differences with knowledge and beliefs is tricky since they can go hand in hand. Knowledge comes from the repetition of experience and its confirmation in many through shared experiences as to belief comes from believing what another source that has had an experience and not actually experiencing it ourselves. So then which one of these would be more creditable if we ourselves have never gone through an experience of knowledge or belief? We are constantly shaped through the influence of others with our belief systems through religious figures, peer pressures and mass media to name a few. To know the difference between what we really know and when we are being influenced is to be aware of our true nature of knowledge and our personal beliefs that have built us up to this. These thought systems are our emotional and behavioral personal empowerments which are our basic needs for mental and physical well-being. The answer really depends on the individual.
Janet Almonte

Anonymous said...

Knowledge is what gives us the power to succeed. We need public and private knowledge to move forward. Being smart and having knowledge is not the same thing. We have personal knowledge from our experiences. With that, we know how to make things better. We have knowledge from education. Which will allow us to become someone in society. Knowledge is something precious that we should all have. Thus, we all have the right to knowledge.
- Shivani

Anonymous said...

We all deserve to gain knowledge. It is indeed a right We deserve to know the truth about things which in my personal opinion is knowledge and we all have earned this right everyday with the things we do. This is why we deserve the right to have knowledge
Marcia P

Esmeralda A said...

The right to knowlegde can be confused with the belief one has. When you have a certain belief they believe it comes from things they have learned,whether it is from a religious or cultural belief. Who is right? I believe there is no right or wrong answer to that. I believe it depends how someone was raised. I do believe knowledge and a belief would be hard to say which is more valuable. EA

Pedro said...

In recent history there has been many advancements in knowledge. Public knowledge has become much greater to all societies. Knowledge is knowing and belief is more of an opinion. P.L

Anonymous said...

I think knowledge is about all the information that we can get about a subject. Only after we get this information, we will understand that subject better. I will say that yes, knowledge is valuable because of its role in practical reasoning.

Claudia B.

Anonymous said...

I believe that knowledge has to do with understanding. Everyone should have the right to knowledge but in for us to be educated about a topic we need to understand it and grasp the information given and obtain the message. I don’t think understanding is more important than knowledge but it is definitely a key component to be knowledgeable.
MelB

Anonymous said...

We all have the right to knowledge, but I think we choose to be knowledgeable. We gain knowledge from our life experiences, personal beliefs, and exposing ourselves to information that we can grasp and use. I wouldn’t have an answer to each of the questions that philosophers ask about the nature of knowledge but I do not think they need to be answered in order to establish that one should have an important understanding of knowledge and the value of it. -v.p.

TrustMeImADoctor said...

Knowledge is a concrete piece of information that can be backed up with some type of source. It is the position of gaining some type of information that we learn to grasp and understand. I believe having knowlege is a consequence of being educated, living life, making mistakes, and asking questions. I bellieve everyone has the right to knowledge and more importantly they have a right to share this obtained knowledge with others.

RhWim said...

The statement that knowledge is power, is a true and powerful statement. Knowledge determines how much money you make, it serves you well to have knowledge in your career. I wish that I had valued knowledge at a younger age as I do now.

Anonymous said...

We are born with knowledge, and we are constantly adding up knowledge into our lives until the day we die. Therefore we should have this right and we must use it directly and indirectly in order to survive.

Unknown said...

You can never gain too much knowledge. Knowledge is power, with knowledge you'll get far in life. Only a fool remains close minded.

Anonymous said...

The right to knowledge is something that should never be taken away from anyone, we all have the right to learn new things and better ourselves without there being any restrictions. Knowledge involves discovering new things and taking risks; it’s what quenches that natural curiosity that we have, something that can't be taken away.
-D.Diaz

Anonymous said...

I think knowledge depends on how each person defines it. Some people think knowledge is being book smart, while others believe it is about experiences outside the classroom. Whatever your definition may be, I think we should always exert this right by learning everything we can, both written and practical. --Rosa F.

Anonymous said...

Knowledge is a beautiful thing to have and is as valuable as one’s beliefs. Beliefs are parts of our soul, and knowledge is part of our daily growth, if wanted. Who ever wants it, should have the same opportunity and right to have it. Gs

Anonymous said...

Knowledge is something that has to be obtained through education or personal experience. Most important, understanding the knowledge you have learned. If you don’t understand it, then how are you going to implement the knowledge you know. E.S.

Jenny said...

Everyone has the right to know, to discover, to learn and to experience new things everyday. The right to knowledge is the most precious thing a human being can acquire for his education in life.

JR

Anonymous said...

Knowledge differs from belief, because knowledge is something that we learn from experience and investigation; belief is something we think is true but doesn't include invetigation. The relationship between belief and knowledge is that a belief is knowledge if the belief is true, and if the believer has a justification (reasonable and necessarily plausible assertions/evidence/guidance) for believing it is true. Laura R.

Unknown said...

A baby has brains, but it doesn't know much. Experience is the only thing that brings knowledge, and the longer you are on earth the more experience you are sure to get.

RV said...

Knowledge is all the information about things, information that could lead to positive and negative results as well. I agree with having the right to knowledge, but do we know how to use it wisely?

Anonymous said...

The nature of knowledge hasn’t been explored enough and although very valuable, most take it for granted not putting their knowledge to good use. Knowledge and belief have their differences and their value depends on who you ask. – D.T

Anonymous said...

The right to knowledge has always been limited to the public by the government. The government decides what information will be put out for us to know. The Roman Catholic Church has unpublished documents and letters that are only viewed by a selected group. The Catholic Church has taken away our right to the full disclosure of all of their records. I believe that If the records they have that are private matters of living individuals that were disclosed to them under secrecy those records should remain private until that person dies. By: L.J.B.R.

Anonymous said...

Knowledge comes from everywhere. We get knowledge from every single thing we do in our daily life, and in my personal opinion Knowledge comes from experiences.

H.D.A

Anonymous said...

Having the right to knowledge is important because one should be able acquire the information one seeks. What we do with that knowledge is entirely an individual choice. I don’t believe that knowledge should be withheld even if it can cause pain; instead, it should be left up to the seeker to accept it or reject it. Sometime knowledge of something that happen in the past can clear-up a misunderstanding or give a new meaning to one’s life. By: LJBR