In what situations does knowledge become a threat?
When Galileo Galilei presented his studies that placed Earth as a mere planet orbiting the sun, instead of beeing the center of the whole Universe, the Christian church felt that they where threatened.
The Bible said that Earth was the midpoint of the Universe, and the Bible was the Truth. It must be the Truth. It had always been the Truth.
And so knowledge became a threat.
The knowledge about the climate changes is the same thing. Some powerful groups feel threatened.
What makes people react that way if no money is involved? Power and status? Absolutely. For the Christian church it was all about the power and the monopoly of what was truth.
So if I have a group of homogeneous people, what kind of knowledge would become a threat?
8 comments:
1. Knowledge that would shaken their picture of themselves or their world.
2. Knowledge that would challenge their opinion of leadership
3. Knowledge that could prove their present opinion of importance to be wrong
Three good points. Thank you.
Very little real knowledge in our world. All is politics.
Climate Change was called Global Warming before the world cooled a little bit.
When I was a child most of the world's scientist said we were entering a new ice age because of pollution.
The Earth may be warming up because of pollution but the proof isn't here yet.
As I have breathing problems I want a clean Earth but pushing false knowledge to get there can backfire.
In the middle ages there was a warming trend similar to the one we have now. Solar cycles may be the cause of this warming trend or it might be because of our pollution.
I don't know and I feel no one else does.
Oh dear, do I have to take a debate about the obvious climat changes caused by humans?
When we have the "proofs" it will too late. And even if there is no climat changes, with what right do we use energy the way we do?
I have to warn you, this subject realy gets me going.
Two good examples from history on the subject knowledge-threat:
1. In ancient Greece a proposal to stipulate a special garment or another kind of sign to be worn by all slaves was rejected. This would make the slaves aware of the number: we are many; they are few = a threat to society.
2. The idea to teach everybody to read enables anybody to follow decisions and legislation i.e. to know what is right and wrong according to the law. Consequently the few who could read lost influence and power.
Interesting examples. Thank you very much.
The first reminds me of Spartacus. 120 000 escaping slaves met 3000 soldiers.
The second is quite scary. If it would be a threat that everybody could read the law then they who practice it must have something to hide.
My point is that both sides use propaganda to promote a political agenda that has nothing to do with reducing pollution in the world.
It is obvious that humans are changing the world in ways we can't understand but it isn't obvious how much climate change is caused by our
pollution.
Since my country is the most wasteful nation on the planet I can only say you are right, we have no right to use energy as we do.
Should we stop the pollution of our planet? Yes before more children die of our foul air.
I never see knowledge as a threat.
I see propaganda as a threat.
The last time the scientists of the world said the sky was falling it set the clean air movement back 20 years. I don't want to see that happen again.
Mars has been warming up at the same time Earth has. This supports a solar cycle explanation of climate change. This climate change is likely expanded by our pollution.
Both the left and the right hate my stand on Climate Change but I try not to be drawn in to propaganda games.
Robert, I don't get it. "Both sides" of what? It is not a war.
A vast majority of the scientists in the world show us big indications that this world is going way off the map of what is natural.
A few says otherwise. They have in my opinion very vague or unsatisfying material for their studies.
Propaganda? Well, it is easy to call it so if you feel that someone wants to force an opinion upon you. Especially if it demands to actions that you feel would affect your way of life.
Then it is easy to see that there are others who tell differently and then relax and do nothing because in fact we do not know, and this is just propaganda to scare us.
Personally I don't need the propaganda to take a stand. Simple maths will do.
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