On the Application of Scientific Knowledge :: Essays Papers

On the Application of Scientific Knowledge The concept of ‘knowledge’ is infinitely broad, but there do exist three subcategories in which a majority of knowledge is encompassed. The knowledge contained within each category carries with it different characteristics, different applications, and certainly varying amounts of weight from the perspective of any individual. The three categories are religious, mathematical, and scientific knowledge. Many questions arise when examining this system of partition. Should knowledge from one category be trusted over knowledge from another? Is one type of knowledge more easily verified than a different type? What exactly are all the differences between religious, mathematical, and scientific knowledge? Reasonable answers to all these questions could not responsibly be answered in this, or any single paper, however, there is one question that can be answered to a reasonable degree of certainty. Which type of knowledge is the most applicable to the real world ? Despite the mass appeal of religious knowledge and the arguable purity of mathematical knowledge, it is the tangible scientific knowledge that is most useful and most applicable to the real world. In order to justify this, it is necessary to present at least a brief investigation into each type of knowledge, noting its origin, appeal, and other unique characteristics. We begin with religious knowledge. 86% percent of people in the world categorize themselves as religious1. This must imply that a very large proportion of the world’s population puts at least some trust in religious knowledge. The problem with discussing religious knowledge is that it is based completely on faith. There is no accepted â€Å"proof† of the existence of a god or gods, so when an individual chooses to believe in a higher power, he or she does so by possessing faith in the truthfulness and accuracy of the religious texts and/or oral tradition associated with that religion. Many religious people, especially those deeply religious, consider the existence of god simply as a given in life. â€Å"What truth so obvious, so certain, as the being of a God, which the most ignorant ages have acknowledged†¦what truth so important as this, which is the ground of all our hopes, the surest foundation of morality, the firmest support of society, and the only principle which ought never to be a moment absent from our thoughts and meditations.