The last system standing
Philosophers of all kinds have been generally skeptical of knowledge all through human history. The dominance of science in the last century seems to have dampened this philosophical inertia as the criteria of knowledge was weakened by acquisition processes such as empiricism and experimentalism. At the same time, the stratification of scientific knowledge was not only accepted but also preferred by those seeking it. The definition, acquisition and stratification of knowledge separate science from other avenues of knowledge exploration such as philosophy and religion that are still operating under holism.
The practical question is whether these approaches to knowledge seeking are mutually exclusive. If this is the case, it is possible that humanity may need to pick one and discard the others. If not, are there ways to combine them to move faster to higher levels of knowledge? Increasing complexity may have led all knowledge seekers to fall into the trap of a narrow and absolute definition of knowledge. In such a situation, science is at a disadvantage because of the lack of holism and the high level of existing fragmentation. On the other hand, alternative avenues such as religion have deteriorated to a point that knowledge seeking is not part of the status-quo regime.
Science may be ill-equipped to seek further knowledge as increasing complexity will force further fragmentation and specialization – leading to the level of knowledge showing an inverted U relationship with time on the X-axis. It is unclear where we are on this function but it is possible that we are close to the top and further exploration in this dimension will lead us down the knowledge curve rapidly.
Religion – adrift in confusion with knowledge seeking removed from its goals – is in no shape to be restarted. Although the holistic framework has been an advantage in its formulation, its contemporary practice has no semblance of it. Here again knowledge may show an inverted U relationship with time but we reached the peak many 1000s of years ago and are now rapidly falling.
Philosophy with a holistic but rational framework may be the only system that may get us further in knowledge. It has been languishing for many decades – not able to cope with the scientific and religious elite – both locked into their own worlds. This is perhaps the last system standing.
The practical question is whether these approaches to knowledge seeking are mutually exclusive. If this is the case, it is possible that humanity may need to pick one and discard the others. If not, are there ways to combine them to move faster to higher levels of knowledge? Increasing complexity may have led all knowledge seekers to fall into the trap of a narrow and absolute definition of knowledge. In such a situation, science is at a disadvantage because of the lack of holism and the high level of existing fragmentation. On the other hand, alternative avenues such as religion have deteriorated to a point that knowledge seeking is not part of the status-quo regime.
Science may be ill-equipped to seek further knowledge as increasing complexity will force further fragmentation and specialization – leading to the level of knowledge showing an inverted U relationship with time on the X-axis. It is unclear where we are on this function but it is possible that we are close to the top and further exploration in this dimension will lead us down the knowledge curve rapidly.
Religion – adrift in confusion with knowledge seeking removed from its goals – is in no shape to be restarted. Although the holistic framework has been an advantage in its formulation, its contemporary practice has no semblance of it. Here again knowledge may show an inverted U relationship with time but we reached the peak many 1000s of years ago and are now rapidly falling.
Philosophy with a holistic but rational framework may be the only system that may get us further in knowledge. It has been languishing for many decades – not able to cope with the scientific and religious elite – both locked into their own worlds. This is perhaps the last system standing.
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