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Are there responsibilities that come with knowing something or knowing how…
Are there responsibilities that come with knowing something or knowing how to do something?
Key words
Responsibility
Emphasises fulfilling obligations in ethical areas although the knowledge doesn’t enforce challenge on the knower.
Knowing how to do something
Indicating the possession of knowledge, information and understanding skills with an emphasis of performing or executing the skill. For example,
knowing how
to derive 2+2=4.
Knowing something
Indicating the possession of knowledge, information, understanding and skills gained through learning and experience. The possession of knowledge refers to the knowledge one owns. For example,
knowing
that 2+2=4.
Implied causation
Knowledge and power are intricately linked—one can gain relative power by gaining knowledge.
Ethical responsibility accompanies the posession of knowledge. Ethical responsibility is imposed on an individual rather than on knowledge possession itself.
The possession of knowledge enables one to affect other people's lives (either beneficially or harmfully).
The one who possesses the knowledge must consider the ethical responsibilities brought with this knowledge. The knowledge should be used within the boundaries of his ethical responsibilities.
Knowledge claim
The possession of knowledge and the application of it estows an ethical responsibility on the knower to use it within the boundaries of their moral code.
RLE
American physicist Julius Robert Oppenheimer was dubbed the father of the atom bomb. Oppenheimer understood the true power of the bomb—never before had mankind possessed this kind of destructive power that truly posed a threat to civilization. While Oppenheimer thought the bomb was morally justified, he felt he held responsibility for the arms race and danger caused by the bomb.
AOK: Natural sciences
TOK concepts
Responsibility:
Emphasises fulfilling obligations in ethical areas although the knowledge doesn’t enforce challenge on the knower.
The possession of knowledge and the possession of any given skill comes with a set of responsibilities that enable the knower to act within the boundaries of their moral code. Responsibility is brought upon the knower to understand the ways in which knowledge and the application of knowledge can affect the world around them.
Power
: The possession of knowledge or skill provides the knower with power and authority. Revolves around the way in which the knower control knowledge they possess.
The power of knowledge is intricately linked with the responsibilities that accompany it—as one's power increases (therefore, increasing the knowledge they possess) one's responsibility does simultaneously. As one's power increases, their moral duty to act reponsibly with the information increases.