Knowledge as an Insufficient Contributor to Enlightenment
The age-old mantra of knowledge is power suggests, at least at face value, that the acquisition of all knowledge—regardless of its type, quality, or source—is empowering, and therefore worth the cost of time, energy, and opportunities forgone required for its pursuit. This is, in my opinion, for a whole host of reasons, a terribly reductionist notion which, if followed through, would lead one seeking wisdom to suboptimal outcomes vis-à-vis one’s ultimate philosophical goals. This post is dedicated to briefly exploring just one reason why the indiscriminate pursuit of knowledge could be a detriment, instead of a boon, in the sense that it could serve to inhibit one’s comparative, though not absolute, enlightenment. The collation of a select group of philosophical concepts yields my conclusion on this particular matter. First, it must be borne in mind that philosophy defines knowledge as one’s belief that is both justified and true. According to the foundational view of knowledge, our be...