Dr. Knutson has mentioned the following a number of times in class:
1. "Everything I know I believe to be true."
2. "I believe that something I know is incorrect."
That's not exactly verbatim, but hopefully you understand the situation he's trying to portray with these two statements.
1. If he "knows" something, then he believes it's true.
2. There are things he accepts as "knowledge" that may actually be false.
His presentation of the two statements seems paradoxical at first, but I suggest that with just a little expounding and clarification, it really isn't that confusing.
Consider the following two statements:
1. Everything I now "know" I hold to be true, based on past experience and/or knowledge transfer from a source I consider trustworthy.
2. If at any point new experiences lead me to a different conclusion or a previously trusted source loses credibility, I will modify my "knowledge" to account for these changes so that they are in agreement with the first statement.
Granted they're a bit longer and not as paradoxical sounding as the first set of statements, but I feel this may clarify what Dr. Knutson has been trying to say. Consider the two ideas in comparison. Do you think my interpretation is accurate?
Dr. Knutson: "Everything I know I hold true. I know something I hold true is false."
My Interpretation: "Everything I know I hold true, unless I'm sufficiently proven wrong. Then I'll willingly accept the new knowledge and truth."
That's all. Just had to get that out of my system. I felt as though he were trying to complicate an idea that was relatively simple. Your thoughts?
I feel like even if it is a simple idea, its complicated to explain it :-).
ReplyDeleteHowever i feel like you have the right idea.
If I may... Part of the paradox is that stasis is achieved in always holding to be true that which you believe. Once you realize that you were wrong, and since you're open to new information, you absorb the new truths, modifying former beliefs, and once again find yourself in the situation of believing that the things you believe are, in fact, true. Paradoxically, The more willing you are to be wrong, the more capable you are of being right.
ReplyDelete