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Knowledge Is Crude
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Knowledge Is Crude

Far from being a touchstone of the truth, knowledge is a Stone Age concept that harms our dealings with the modern world

Aeon, 2019


Editorial Rating

7

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Recommendation

The concept of knowledge, philosopher David Papineau provocatively argues, is a relic of the Stone Age that no longer serves modern humans in a complex world. In no way does Papineau discount the importance of truth. Instead, he insists that the concept of knowledge limits people’s ability to find it. For the philosophically inclined, Papineau’s essay offers a thought-provoking take on human intuition and decision making.

Take-Aways

  • People tend to insist on establishing a direct causal connection between facts and thoughts for them to qualify as actionable knowledge.
  • Humans are inherently biased toward first-hand evidence.
  • However, beliefs derived from indirect evidence do and must play an important role in informing human action and decision making.

About the Author

David Papineau is professor of philosophy at King’s College London and the Graduate Center at the City University of New York. 


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