Is Knowledge Based on Authority? A Philosophical Exploration Essay

This essay delves into the philosophical question of whether knowledge is primarily based on authority and trust or on empirical facts. It examines the ambiguous definition of knowledge, highlighting the interplay between belief and fact. Referencing philosophers like Althusser, Derrida, Hegel, and Kant, the essay discusses the scientific evolution of knowledge versus knowledge derived from belief systems and responsive behavior. Using the profession of a marketing manager as an example, it argues that true knowledge comes from practical experience and adaptation, rather than prescribed theories or authority. The essay concludes that knowledge as a social development is rooted in facts and continuous evolution, not merely authority and trust. Desklib offers a wealth of similar essays and study resources for students.

Running head: ESSAY
KNOWLEDGE AND PROFESSION
Name of Student
Name of University
Author note

1ESSAY
Knowledge is a very important thing in the understanding of the development that can
occur in a human being in the due course of time while learning the different aspects of life.
The natural reaction towards knowledge is a question that remains in constant evolution,
which asks oneself about the distinction between the trustworthiness and the
untrustworthiness of the knowledge that has been acquired (Ryder, 2013). Though in the
modern times, understanding of knowledge is not considered a fundamental aspect of
philosophy, it still remains one of the most important aspects of understanding philosophy.
The purpose of this essay is to examine the different aspects of knowledge which helps in the
development of the idea that whether the knowledge is based upon authority and trust rather
than facts. The essay further explains the ideas with reference to a profession, which helps in
the understanding of the practicality of the arguments that have been placed.
The definition of knowledge is a very ambiguous one, as it does not have a very
concrete application. If knowledge is based on belief, it is hard to determine the truth of the
knowledge. On the contrary, if the knowledge is based on fact, the determination of the
origins and the belief systems behind them remains unclear and vague, which makes its
application unclear (Johnson, 2018). A true knowledge is based on the intermingling of facts
and beliefs at the same time.
A belief is a general acceptance of the state of the mind. However, there are
philosophers who do not believe the mind to be divided into different state and prefers to use
it more as behaviour of mind. This behaviour aligns itself with common sense, which reflects
the explicit act of response to certain actions or situations. Knowledge in this case, is a
responsive attribute of corresponding to the usual habit (O’Boyle & McDonough, 2016). It is
the acknowledgement of the similar patterns of ideas that exist in the system. For example, it
is the common behaviour of humans as well as other animals to go to the shed, when it is
very hot outside. The behavioural pattern, which exists in this case, is the illustration of the
sense of the living beings. This type of knowledge is of cognitive nature and is more on the
lines of introspective psychology.
Logic on the other hand, is a more adopted method of discussing a problem. Coming
to the context of whether knowledge is based on authority and trust or on facts, it is important
to understand the type of application that is to be practiced with the knowledge. According to
Althusser, knowledge is based more on the scientific evolution of facts and logic (Baring,
2014). This explanation presents science in a more formal manner that the traditional

2ESSAY
dogmatic manner. The evolution of knowledge according to the scientific theories is a
continuous development of the concepts and ideas based on the belief system, supported by
logic. It has to confirm itself with the practices of truth and facts. These factors help the
knowledge to establish itself on its own terms as the criteria of truth. However, Althusser
believed that the practice of ideology imposes a compartmental belief in the theories of facts
(Baring, 2014). Though this compartmentalization can be viewed as non-negative, it can help
in the establishment of the development of a particular aspect of a subject. The falsehood and
misinterpretations of the different layers of meanings in knowledge can be avoided, if the
ideology establishes itself more on the criteria of its own validity. This aspect reflects the idea
of Derridean deconstruction, where a social structure is determined by questioning its
purpose and critically examining it (Schlag, 2017).
Knowledge in the social structure should be on the similar lines. Knowledge that is
based on authority and trust is just a belief system, which determines a categorical behaviour
or response to certain actions. It is not the self-development or the development of ideas. The
responsive behaviour cannot be considered as knowledge as it does not demonstrate the
development of the inner qualities or the reflection of the uniqueness of the person. It is more
of behavioural developments which leads the self away from the scientific evolution and lets
it escape the force of discourse and true evolution of the real.
The Hegelian concept of time is very essential in the understanding of knowledge,
which can be related in defining knowledge on the basis of time. The homogeneous
continuity of time helps in understanding the fact that knowledge has a philosophical
interpretation of being the part of history, which is a continuous development of the spirit of a
self (Safatle, 2015). It a continuous movement. This time period does not get ahead of itself,
or lag behind with the progression, but has the unarticulated explanation of its self-
development.
If a profession of a marketing manager is chosen, it can be seen that the development
of knowledge in the concerned person will be more on the scientific way. The evolution of
market knowledge is not on the written theories of books or on the ideas of authority, but on
the basis of the development of the market knowledge on the day-to-day basis. There are
always theories and practices that are prescribed for the marketing profession. However,
these prescribed theories and practices are not the knowledge that is gained by the marketing
manager. These are mere guidelines, which help the marketing manager to choose the path of

3ESSAY
gaining knowledge. The real knowledge that is required by the marketing manager is gained
on the basis of experiences in the marketing field. The interaction with people, the
understanding of the marketing trends and the responsive behaviour accordingly is not
prescribed in the books, but are gained by practical knowledge (Crampton & Elden, 2016).
This type of evolution has been pointed out by Althusser’s belief in the scientific evolution of
knowledge. Similarly, if the marketing professionals know the purpose of the actions, then it
would be easier for them to adapt to the knowledge that evolves with time. If the knowledge
is based on the set of examples that existed in an earlier time-period, then the development of
knowledge will not be fulfilled. It will transform into the responsive behaviour based on the
belief system. The will to adapt and change is the key to develop the self and gain
knowledge. According to Kant, knowledge is more of a natural selection, which is the
development of the mind according to the situations that are faced by human beings (Baier,
2013). The natural process is more of a responsive attribute to the situations and gain
knowledge as a part of the experience.
The above discussion highlights the primary attributes of knowledge and how its
theories have developed with time. From a responsive behaviour based on belief systems, to a
more scientific evolution of judging and developing accordingly has been the true history of
knowledge. From the above discussion it can be concluded that knowledge as a social
development is not based on authority and trust but on the development of facts. The constant
evolution of time and the responsive behaviour accordingly has helped in the understanding
of the trends. This aspect has helped to determine the nature of adaptation required and also
the development of knowledge.

4ESSAY
References:
Baier, A. (2013). A naturalist view of persons. The American Philosophical Association
Centennial Series, 5-18.
Baring, E. (2014). The Politics of Writing: Derrida and Althusser. A Companion to Derrida,
287-303.
Crampton, J. W., & Elden, S. (2016). Introduction Space, Knowledge and Power: Foucault
and Geography. In Space, Knowledge and Power (pp. 13-28). Routledge.
Johnson, R. (2018). Histories of culture/theories of ideology: Notes on an impasse. In
Routledge Revivals: Ideology and Cultural Production (1979) (pp. 53-81). Routledge.
O’Boyle, B., & McDonough, T. (2016). Critical realism and the Althusserian legacy. Journal
for the Theory of Social Behaviour, 46(2), 143-164.
Ryder, A. (2013). Foucault and Althusser: epistemological differences with political effects.
Foucault Studies, (16), 134-153.
Safatle, V. (2015). Temporality, Ontology, Dialectics: Hegel Against a Formal Concept of
Time. Filozofski Vestnik, 36(3).
Schlag, P. (2017). “Le Hors de Texte, C’est Moi”: The Politics of Form and the
Domestication of Deconstruction. In Derrida and Law (pp. 133-176). Routledge.