Knowledge Issue : The knower’s perspective is essential in the pursuit of knowledge. To what extent do you agree?

1. The knower’s perspective is essential in the pursuit of knowledge. To what extent do you
agree?
In the process of learning something, it is important that we have to have our own
point of view. By having my own point of view doesn’t mean that I have to ignore other’s
opinions. It just makes me able to evaluate something, like information, before accepting it as
knowledge. Owning my own perspective means making sense of the knowledge based on my
own observation and experience. The main focus of the topic seems to be the importance of
the knower’s point of view in gaining knowledge. In this case, I consider language as part of
knower’s perspective. Knowers can use language in making their own point of view which is
one of the processes in construction of knowledge. I believe in a lot of cases language has a
strong influence in how someone develops his point of view. Therefore, in this essay what I
would like to explore is how important is language in the construction of knowledge?
In looking at mathematics and arts, we will see that language is more important in
mathematics compared to arts. A lot of people believe that language is not important in math.
They say what is more important is logical reasoning, because maths deals with numbers and
symbols. In my opinion, the numbers and symbols are the language in maths, the
mathematical language. The message in math lies in the exact and precise numbers and
symbols. The message is conveyed and communicated through the numbers and symbols. It
is so precise that we talk only about answers to problems and not about the beauty of the
language. The language is short, simple and straight forward. For example, the term “if and
only if” is used in mathematics to avoid confusion, and that the formula can be used in certain
conditions only.

2. Mathematical language is also unique because it is universal. Every number, every
symbol in math is recognised anywhere in the world. You can pronounce it in any language
you know but the value of 1 remains the same and the value of 2+2 is still four. Language is
important in mathematics because to me it is a formal language. A formal language is a
language which has carefully defined symbols and rules (Woolman, 2006).
However, somehow mathematics loses its precision when it is used in spoken
language. For example the mathematical expression:
√
230
2
+ 6
In this form, this expression is very clear and precise if it is in the formal language, which is
if it is written. But when it is described by using spoken language, which is by reading it
aloud, it can vary from one another depending on how the person articulates it. Interpretation
of the spoken language can be in many forms. The knower will bring his own point of view
and interprets the information in his own way. This could lead to a construction of knowledge
for him. Through his interpretation he could learn something.
However, if interpretation could lead to construction of knowledge, misinterpretation
could lead to confusion. There can be many forms of interpretation of the spoken language. A
knower is able to interpret the spoken language in its own way and it can be anything. That
interpretation is considered as his point of view. After that, he will use this point of view and
it leads to the construction of knowledge for the knower. Thus, the construction of knowledge
depends on how the knower interprets the information.
For example, in my mathematics class, at one time my teacher asked us to write the
questions in our own exercise books. Then, when we discussed the questions on the next day,

3. I found that every student had different final answers and yes, it was caused by the variety of
question that they wrote the day before based on how they interpreted the teacher’s
instructions. The calculation flow of the questions is correct, but this situation shows that
everyone has their own interpretation when it comes to spoken language. Hence, language is
important in mathematics because it can affect the purities of the knowers’ knowledge. If and
only if they have the correct understanding, they can get the correct knowledge. Therefore, it
is clear that language is important to an extent, but usually it can show truth within one fixed
language.
The importance of language is on the part of the sender of the message. If the sender
misuses the language in terms of vocabulary or terms, then it will lead to a confusing
explanation. This leads to wrong interpretation thus leading to wrong construction of
knowledge. In addition, the person who learns also can misunderstand the knowledge that is
delivered to them because the knower himself is unable to master the language that is used in
the learning process. The knower himself misunderstands the knowledge. This shows that the
language is important in the construction of knowledge because language leads to
interpretations. This interpretation determines whether the knower learns the right thing or
not based on the point of view that he developed.
Language is not as important in arts because arts creates its own language. I will
explore this claim by looking at visual arts specifically. I believe in visual arts the role of
language is not that crucial. To me what is more important is sense of perception. A knower
will look at an art piece and use his sense of sight to interpret and understand it. Whatever
knowledge that is constructed has nothing to do with his language or that of the artist. In arts,
the role of language does not really help in the construction of knowledge. In a metaphorical
sense, arts creates its own language through such external symbols used by the artists, like the
paint, the canvas, the marble, the bricks and mortar, which become the language (Woolman,

4. 2006). Sense perception is used in visual arts in order for the knower to interpret the visual
arts. This will lead him to form his own point of view and thus, to the construction of
knowledge.
For example, the greatest painting Soldier and a Laughing Girl by Jan Vermeer,
shows the officer backs the viewer, while on the right of the painting , beside the huge map of
Holland, the girl is smiling at him. She is sitting in front of an open window, cradling a glass
in her hands. The saturation of colour on the officer is darker than on the girl. While looking
at this painting, what I can interpret is the open window and the map symbolizes the outside
world, maybe giving a clue that the girl is facing adulthood. The light coming through the
window probably shows opportunity and hope that lie ahead for her. The choice of darker
colours for the officer probably reflects the negative episodes in his life. The contrasting
choice of colours I interpret as the phases of life that one person is about to experience and
the other one has gone through. To interpret the painting I don’t need language, I merely use
my sense of sight and some imagination.
Furthermore, in arts, the most important ways of knowing are memory, emotion and
imagination. The knower has to interpret the paintings and have to consider many aspects.
For example, in paintings, the choice of appropriate colour is important as a colour represents
the emotions of the artists. Blue colour indicates tranquillity and brings calming effects, while
warm colours trigger hungry such as red, orange and yellow. The thing that makes us
visualize the effects of the paints is our imagination. The combination of imagination and
emotion in the way the knower interprets the painting leads to forming a point of view. The
construction of knowledge happens when interpretation the painting takes place, otherwise
the observation of the painting is just a waste of time.

5. In conclusion, the knowers’ perspective is essential in the pursuit of knowledge
because it provides choices in gaining knowledge. In construction of knowledge, language
plays a major role. Language plays a role when it is used in mathematics but only to the
extent that it is used as a formal language. In contrast, in the context of arts language is not as
important because in this paradigm other ways of knowing are more prominent. Having
considered the influence of language in forming once point of view, it can be concluded that
language is important in mathematics but not in visual arts.
(1396 words)
Bibliography
Paradowski,M.B. (n.d.). TheBenefitsof Multilingualism.RetrievedJanuary10,2016, from
Multilingual living:http://www.multilingualliving.com/2010/05/01/the-benefits-of-
multilingualism/
Woolman,M. (2006). WaysOf knowing,An introduction to Theory of Knowledge. Melton:IBIDPress,
Victoria.