Perspective in the Context of Knowledge Essay

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Knower's Perspective Is Essential In The Pursuit Of Knowledge

People have long been fascinated with researching particular topics they became interested in. This led to different individuals starting to look at the same concept from differing points-of-view. To a certain degree, it would be safe to say that a person's opinion on something is largely based on the respective individual's background. The knower is a person who uses filters when coming across information, as it would be impossible for him or her to start with a "tabula rasa" type of thinking when attempting to assess information. This means that the individual's perspective is likely to differ from one experienced by a person coming from a completely different environment.

Filmmakers, photographers, and artists in general who deal with a topic that has been discussed in the past are perhaps one of the best examples when considering the significance of perspective. Two different videographers, for example, can produce completely different representations of a subject that they deal with. This can be owed to a series of things, with one of the most significant being their tendency to leave a personal touch. The two individuals think of the subject in contexts they are familiar with, as they are likely to associated it with ideas they came across in the past.

When discussing with regard to the knower's perspective, the nature versus nurture philosophical debate comes into play. One does not necessarily have to choose a side in this respective debate, as the person would have to focus on both elements and to determine the degree to which each of them has affected an individual while he or she was taking a certain decision.

Knowledge is a very complex concept and one cannot possibly utilize all the possibilities when attempting to come up with an opinion regarding a particular idea. As emphasized by Nietzsche, "we can never exhaust all possible perspectives on the object of knowledge (there are infinite interpretative interests)." (Leiter, 218) There can thus be an infinite number of options that can be produced as a consequence of individuals wanting to assess something.

The existence of the internet made it possible for people to have access to much more information than they had in the past. Topics that have been discussed in the past by certain individuals thus came to be exposed to a larger audience. People got actively involved in addressing topics they had a limited understanding of in the past. These respective topics eventually came to be addressed from a series of different perspectives. The fact that a person's perspective is especially important when discussing a particular topic is more and more visible in the contemporary society -- as one is likely to hear diverging opinions whenever they are part of a larger group. Some of the individuals providing these opinions probably researched them before and came across accounts written by more than one person. This, in turn, led them to believe that particular ideas are right while others are not.

There is no denying that computers enable people to think faster and for society as a whole to evolve faster as a result. Evolution in particular can be considered the result of people's tendency to improve methods of acquiring knowledge. This meant that they needed to come up with several filters that they could use in order to verify whether or not a certain idea was true. There thus came to be a multitude of ways to assess some ideas and people still have problems determining which are better than the others. A channel can be considered a person's perspective (even with the fact that several individuals are using the respective channel), as he or she chose to have this particular perspective in a discussion and likely considers that it would be the safest way to assess an idea.

In order to gain a complex understanding of an idea, a person can concentrate on looking at it from several perspectives. This can enable the individual to accumulate more knowledge about the concept and to eventually be able to address it from the point-of-view of an experienced person. At first, someone can address concepts that might interfere with his or her ability to comprehend the idea. By using diverse filters, the respective individual can be more likely to understand the idea properly. "The more perspectives we enjoy, the better will be our conception of what the object is actually like." (Leiter, 272)

It would be especially difficult to address the idea of good knowledge, as there is no guarantee that the way particular people understand a certain concept is the correct way to comprehend it. One thus needs to identify several individuals and attempt to find common ground between their perspectives in order to be more certain regarding the correct way to look at an object.

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By also focusing on the backgrounds of people who think in a certain way, the person can also add filters making it more effective for him or her to conduct an assessment process. "Without a clear understanding of the person and the various contexts that shape his or her capabilities, aspirations, and problems, it is difficult to make an informed judgment." (Little & Ray, 16) When trying to understand someone's point-of-view, one can thus also look into the respective person and the combination of factors that may have contributed to shaping that point-of-view. By doing this, an individual is more likely to challenge a point-of-view based on those factors and to eventually even change the person's point-of-view if he or she feels that it would be efficient for them to do so.

In order to be able to express certainty with regard to a certain object, an individual can also focus on gaining a better understanding of their own background. By doing this, he or she can analyze factors that might shape his or her opinion and determine whether or not it would be important for them to keep those factors in the discussion. In a context where one or more of these respective factors might negatively influence a person's ability to express a perspective, the individual would have to concentrate on removing them in order to have an opinion that is as objective as possible. Surely, objectivity is a divisive topic when discussing with regard to perspective, but this does not mean that a person cannot attempt to have an objective opinion about something. While limited by his or her background to a certain degree, the individual can still concentrate on removing most influential factors from the decision-making process. This can eventually make it possible for him or her to also argue against the opinions of others, taking into account that the person would likely also be able to identify influential factors in the background of others.

Perspective is especially important in sports, as it can differentiate between a winner and a loser. A knowledgeable football player can identify moments when it would be best for him or her to advance or go back in order to weaken the opponent's position. One of the simplest ways to emphasize the significance of perspective in the context of football would be to focus on the best time to shoot with the purpose to score. An inexperienced player would be inclined to shoot with the first opportunity he or she has while a more experienced player would know the exact moment when he or she has the best chance to score.

When attempting to accumulate more knowledge, a person needs to be well-acquainted with his or her position in an environment and various concepts that might interfere with his or her ability to effectively look at an object. By finding the best channel available, an individual is more likely to have a cleaner understanding of a concept. What is particularly intriguing about people is the fact that the multitude of filters they can use while attempting to understand a concept also makes it more likely for them to fail while doing so. If one of these respective filters fails to provide correct information, the individual can be led to have an incorrect opinion regarding the topic he or she is studying.

There is always going to be controversy with regard to people's ability to understand an idea. This is largely due to the multitude of cultural values currently present in society, as these can shape the way people think and can thus interfere with their ability to learn. More information available is often equivalent to confusion, as people tend to have problems understanding particular ideas due to the way they are presented. Either because they are in disagreement with information they've gathered in the past or because they tend to be too similar to ideas they associate with certain groups, opinions can be difficult to promote.

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