Theory of Knowledge - Course Companion for Students Marija Uzunova Dang Arvin Singh Uzunov Dang

related pitfall to avoid is using objects to
A
ideas symbolically. In exploring, for
represent
prompt 6 “How does the way that
example,
organize or classify knowledge affect what
we
know?” you might offer an image of a
we
mirror to symbolize the fragmentation
broken
knowledge into separate disciplines. This
of
be a mistake.
would
is tempting to engage with objects
It
because we can attribute
symbolically
to any object and gain approval.
meaning
exhibition is intended to engage with
The
in their own right—with their origin
objects
uniqueness, purpose and meanings
stories,
those you personally give them.
beyond
prompt 6 still in mind, consider Figure
With
an image of The Siku Quanshu, the 18thcentury
12.5,
encyclopedia of Chinese knowledge.
79,000 chapters and 800 million words,
At
Siku Quanshu is a compendium of a body
The
knowledge so large in volume that it has
of
been surpassed by Wikipedia, and that
only
summary, the objects in your exhibition
In
meet these criteria.
should
They should be pre-existing, not created for
•
purposes of your exhibition.
the
They need to represent themselves, not
•
ideas.
abstract
only happened recently. It is organized
has
to traditional classification into
according
Branches ( 部 ): (a) the Classics ( 經 ), (b) the
“4
( 史 ), (c) the Masters ( 子 ), and (d)
Histories
Anthologies ( 集 )”. This complex system
the
over the course of 15 centuries
developed
does not neatly map onto the domains
and
knowledge in Western thought. Including
of
Siku Quanshu in your exhibition allows
The
to engage with its specific historical and
you
meanings and make compelling
cultural
to both the prompt and the world.
connections
can explore how applying categories
You
as “literature” and “philosophy” to
such
thought prior to the 18th century
Chinese
or distorts our understanding of them.
limits
you can consider limitations and
Indeed,
that occur when we apply one way
distortions
organizing knowledge to an intellectual
of
that organizes knowledge differently.
tradition
The Siku Quanshu, the 18th-century encyclopedia
order to make your objects relevant to the
In
you need a good understanding of
prompt,
specific origins and histories. It is helpful
their
draw on objects you are already familiar
to
or committed to finding out more
with,
in order to avoid misrepresentations,
about,
and generalizations.
oversimplifications
in this exhibition with objects
Working
in the real world keeps you
contextualized
for the claims you make about
accountable
I. THE EXHIBITION
12
Figure 12.5
of Chinese knowledge consisting of 79,000 chapters
• They should be specific, not generic.
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