TOK Journal #10, Date of Writing: 08/07/10, Topic: Science, Knowledge and our imagination

"Science may set limits to knowledge, but should not set limits to our imagination." -unknown author.

I did some reflecting on this statement and developed several response to it involving theory of knowledge and knowledge issues and just wanted to share them here.

RESPONSE ONE: Knowledge as most see it is either right or wrong, true or false - one of two distinct answers that have no alternative and are true for everyone. Plato, however, defined knowledge as a "justified true belief." Analysing each of these words, it can be said that knowledge is particular to a person. Also, without emotion (to believe) there cannot be knowledge. Imagination is something that comes at least somewhat from emotions... nothing, not even science, can set limits to these.

RESPONSE TWO: There was once a point in time when science told us the earth was flat. It set limits, as such, to what Plato defined as justified true beliefs, to our knowledge, knowledge which by that very definition is particular to the individual. It was not until some courageous, imaginative fellow decided he didn't believe this, didn't think it was true and decided to try and 'sail over the edge' to justify his theory that the science was incorrect. Science may try to limit the knowledge of us as humans, but nothing can limit the imagination of the individual.

It has been said that no knowledge exsists without emotion... perhaps it can also be said that no knowledge exsists without imagination. If we are told that the nearest star to earth is 4 billion years away, we cannot go and look, go and measure the distance for ourselves (at least, most people can't!). It requires imagination to believe what we are told is fact as we have to justify it. I think this is something that deserves to be explored further in the future, so in 6 months or so time I will come back to this journal entry and create a new one detailing how my thoughts have developed over this time.