Acquisition Of Knowledge Essay

The acquisition of knowledge is a process engrained in human nature, rooted in the desire to uncover the truth and driven by the asking of questions; inquiries that evoke information or incite an answer. When searching for knowledge, it may be necessary for the question stimulating the pursuit of knowledge to be neutral, defined as not being biased in any way and unaffected by personal experience and knowledge, in order for one to arrive at an absolute, objective truth or certain knowledge. However, according to Kantian philosophy, concepts, information and knowledge are all interconnected in a complex web of beliefs, therefore, questions must be inextricably linked to the preexisting connections. Since these connections will forever be present, it is difficult to formulate a question …show more content…
This leads to the questions; what is the role of language and bias in shaping the neutrality of questions and thereby our acquisition of knowledge and to what extent is it possible to formulate a neutral question and thus acquire objective knowledge and truth?
First of all, mathematics is often considered a neutral area of knowledge, as it is universal across cultures, and relies on preexisting frameworks built upon deductive reasoning, as opposed to frameworks built upon knowledge by experience. Most fundamental mathematical principles have been in place for hundreds of years and have not changed, despite an ever-changing human environment. Thus, since the methodology of mathematics can be considered neutral and unaffected by situational biases, the questions posed in this area of knowledge could also be considered neutral. However, one could also argue against such neutrality, as does Munir Fashesh in his paper, Is Math in the Classroom Neutral-Or Dead? A View From Palestine.