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Friday, July 25, 2008

What is Knowledge... Absolute Truth or Pure Hype?

The question maybe asked; is it possible to have false knowledge? I mean is it possible to have knowledge in a lie and accept it as truth. If knowledge is process and the information is the entity then believing that something is true when it is not is still knowledge. I say this in light of the Earth as "round" -or- "flat idea which was a debate early in the enlightenment. My second thought is that of validating knowledge. If knowledge is percieved truth (regardless of actual truth) then the validation process is essential in showing error in knowledge. However, I would assert that there are things which can not be emperically tested to guage the truth or error in knowledge.

Going back to the notion of "knowledge" as 'justified belief,' one may like to consider its bases of justification. Such justification about "it" may arise from various criteria, such as:

a) Everyone agrees about it: so it is a "given truth"
b) It has been empirically proven and it is unchanging with shifting time and context
c) It has never been questioned: everyone assumes that it is a "given truth"
d) No one cares about it: hence it is assumed as a "given truth"
e) The powers-that-be have determined that it is the "given truth"
f) Everyone hears [from media channels and other 'filters'] that it is the "given truth"
g) All speakers at the conference said so ;-), so it is the "given truth"
h) All vendors of technology said so ;-), so it is the "given truth"

Your example of "earth as round" would be based on most of the above criteria. However, the issue that may be of interest is that of "truths" as being universal truths: that are unassailable with shifts in times and contexts. The "truth" of "push technologies" and other similar new inventions are often a combination of hype and reality - only in the longer run can one determine the ratio of the two in the mix of 'messy' reality.

Considering a popular example about the 'in thing' in children's toys category, we are hearing that many are ga ga about the "furby" this year [resulting in a whole array of such dolls in various shapes and forms], last year it was the Power Ranger [especially the white one], and years' before we had the "Cabbage Patch" doll and the "Pet Rock." The question is if the success of any gizmo this year can imply that it will be a similar success next year. One can not say with certainty, because future in many such cases is indeterminate.

In sum, most fundamental and statistical facts may remain unchanged [although given the systemic nature of natural forces that shape the universe, after many years if earth will still be round or if it will be still in existence is a moot issue]. However, within the foreseeable time horizon - of next year, next decade and perhaps next millenium - we anticipate to observe radically changing nature of organizations [as we know about them] and related information processing systems, control and performance systems. Simultaneously, we also anticipate to see changing nature of what we think about in terms of work, leisure and other aspects of human life. [Will TV still remain 'in' or 'out' - that is the big question facing the mega-networks who are hedging their bets by investing, colluding and merging with Internet networks and allied services.]

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