"Exploring the Concept of Knowledge: What It Is, How We Define It, and How We Acquire It"

By: Jamari Graham

The Oxford dictionary defines knowledge as the "theoretical or practical understanding of a subject," which includes facts, information, and skills acquired through education or experience. Throughout our lives, we gain knowledge through various means, which helps us better understand and interact with the world around us. But what exactly is knowledge, and how do we define it? This is where things get interesting.

To explore the concept of knowledge, we must first consider its foundation. Knowledge can be defined as the organization of clusters of data that guide interactions with the world (Jost, 2017). However, we can further subcategorize knowledge into representation, procedural knowledge, generational knowledge, and more. Rene Descartes, a renowned philosopher, argued that the foundation of knowledge lies in our ability to think and reason: "Cogito, ergo sum," which translates to "I think, therefore I am." He believed that knowledge goes beyond what our senses can perceive and that it encompasses all aspects of life.

So, how do we acquire knowledge? Knowledge can be created through reasonable doubt, where we confirm our assumptions to be true through observation and verification. This creates a fact that we can be certain of. According to Descartes and Jost, knowledge is consistent with what we perceive to be true and is obtained through our senses.

But what about the things we don't know? How can we determine our initial state of ignorance? The answer lies in asking questions that seek to uncover information we don't yet know. This is where ignorance plays a crucial role in the acquisition of knowledge. As we become more aware of things, we store that information in our knowledge banks, which reside in the most highly developed part of our brain, the cerebrum.

In summary, knowledge is a never-ending process of gaining insight and understanding of the world around us. It is obtained through various means, including education and experience, and is based on our ability to think, reason, and perceive. The foundation of knowledge lies in our personal beliefs and thoughts that are certain and without a doubt. So, let's continue to explore and gain knowledge, as it is an essential part of our growth and development as individuals.

Gold, Andrew H; Malhotra, Arvind; Segars, Albert H. Journal of Management Information Systems: JMIS; Armonk Vol. 18, Iss. 1, (Summer 2001): 185-214.

Compton, P., and R. Jansen. “A Philosophical Basis for Knowledge Acquisition.” (3rd European Knowledge Acquisition for Knowledge Based Systems Workshop 1989), 2010, pdfs.semanticscholar.org/f597/5b8a18564017e7d6817e41d3868a3b2f0642.pdf.

Compton, P., and R. Jansen. “A Philosophical Basis for Knowledge Acquisition.” (3rd European Knowledge Acquisition for Knowledge Based Systems Workshop 1989), 2010, pdfs.semanticscholar.org/f597/5b8a18564017e7d6817e41d3868a3b2f0642.pdf.

Jost, Jürgen. “Theory in Biosciences.” Knowledge, vol. 136, no. 1-2, 1 June 2017, yw6vq3kb9d.search.serialssolutions.com.ezproxy1.apus.edu/?ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&ctx_enc=info:ofi/enc:UTF-8&rfr_id=info:sid/summon.serialssolutions.com&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:journal&rft.genre=article&rft.atitle=Knowledge&rft.jtitle=Theory in biosciences = Theorie in den Biowissenschaften&rft.au=Jost, Jürgen&rft.date=2017-06-01&rft.eissn=1611-7530&rft.volume=136&rft.issue=1-2&rft.spage=1&rft_id=info:pmid/28229335&rft.externalDocID=28229335¶mdict=en-US.

Green, Michael. “Descartes on Knowledge .” Problems of Philosophy, 4 Oct. 2010, carneades.pomona.edu/2010-PoP/1004-nts.shtml.