Retorts

Knowledge, Knowing

Thoughts while trying to define research, in the sense of discovery of new knowledge and new interpretations:

Clearly, know-how can be equated with technology and, following that line of thought, know-why is a useful description of science.

The old division between pure and applied mathematics was the division between science and technology, between know-why and know-how. Multilingualism, or indeed language itself, is a technology. To Dewey, "useful arts" were what we are now calling technology, both sorts of arts being performed by artisans.

Most of us were taught that there are six kinds of questions; do the other four tell us anything? I suggest, navely, that know "when" equals history, and know "where" equals geography. That leaves know "who" and know "what", which together summarise business and society.

I suggest that research is an art and that the fine arts are about feelings rather than material knowledge. We can pin it down a little, though; research equals striving to know the undreamed-of, and fine arts equals giving solidity to our dreams.

Research is a striving against two of the six ignorances -- the things we know we do not know (directed research), and the things we do not know we do not know, sometimes called "blue skies" research or "because it's there".

For those who are unfamiliar with the chastening list, the other four ignorances are: the things we do not know we know (tacit knowledge); the things we think we know, but don't (error); forbidden knowledge (taboo); and suppressed knowledge (denial).

The six questions and the six ignorances are a useful aid to clear thinking. I'm now a little clearer why I research. The why is an inner drive, something akin to a fine art; the how is a technology that I have been taught through a long apprenticeship that is still continuing.

Peter Meredith
University of Canterbury