KNOWLEDGE AND LANGUAGE

WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN KNOWLEDGE AND CULTURE?

Gray, Thomas. “Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College.” 1768. Poetry Foundation. source

This is the last stanza of Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College, an 18th-century ode by the English poet, Thomas Gray. In this poem, Gray invented the phrase ‘Ignorance is bliss’. I’ve been introduced to this phrase many times throughout highschool; most of them to debate whether there is truth in the statement or not. Of course, there is a general understanding that ignorance isn’t a favorable state of mind, and that it’s better to be equipped with all kinds of knowledge for all kinds of situations. Because this was before I had ToK classes, I had a superficial understanding of the background and impact of this phrase. I didn’t realise that the phrase I considered to be common culture, was actually only better known within English-speaking contexts. This grand debate about an iconic phrase had a limited audience that I had completely neglected. This brings out the issue of language barriers and how they help protect certain aspects of different cultures and CoK. For example, while the essence of the phrase ‘Ignorance is bliss’ can certainly be discussed in any language, the experience will be different to an english speaker analysing a small phrase from an 18th-century ode. At the same time, while this poem has a very specific context, it has become part of a culture that has obliged it to transcend into today’s modern world. In addition, there is something particular about the distinguished phrase; it has been slightly misinterpreted. The complete phrase, ‘where ignorance is bliss, ‘Tis folly to be wise’ demonstrates that Gray presented an affirmation, but not in favor of ignorance. Instead, it declares that within a context in which ignorance is the norm, knowledge isn’t imperative. To me, this perfectly portrays how a subjective form of communication like literature, can be a cultural symbol that transcends time but at the same time, doesn’t transcend a language barrier.

Magritte, René. The Treachery of Images. 1929, Los Angeles County Museum of Art. LACMA, source

My second object is the painting The Treachery of Images (1929) by the Belgian surrealist artist René Magritte. I recognized Magritte for his thought-provoking paintings such as The Son of Man (1964) which portrays a man standing with a green apple covering his face. However, while doing research for my Visual Arts course, I discovered other paintings of his and came to understand how much impact Magritte has had on the art world. Certainly, the art world is a very important aspect of any culture, carrying creative forces and communicating countless different messages to all types of audiences. We could say art is a language of its own, and with it we can learn about specific cultures in a way that isn’t simply reading a history textbook. A clue that tells us about the artist himself is that the phrase “Ceci n’est pas une pipe” is in French, his mother tongue. As I discussed with the first object, the specific language drastically changes the perception of a spectator who doesn’t speak French. They might see a pipe and words underneath, but they won’t be able to play the game Magritte has put in front of them. However, if we skip this language barrier, I think that the particular composition of The Treachery of Images creates complex wordplay that can be interpreted in various ways. At first, the phrase “This is not a pipe” seems contradictory in relation to the image above — a pipe. However, with further reflection, we realise what Magritte later confirmed: it’s not a pipe, it’s merely a representation of it. Through this, Magritte challenges the established conventions of language through what’s called logical atomism, a theory developed by Bertrand Russell and Ludwig Wittgenstein. “Logical Atomism supposes that a perfect one-to-one correspondence exists between an “atom” of language and an atomic fact” (Britannica). Given that these philosophers were creating this theory around the same time Magritte was painting this artwork, there is no doubt that knowledge that comes from specific cultures can be studied through different mediums to get a broader understanding.

Seinfeld, Jerry. “Jerry Seinfeld (1979) - A Tiny Sock Closet - @The Botton Line NYC.” Youtube, uploaded by Guarazera, 5 July 2012, source

My final object is a joke from a stand-up comedy show of the American comedian Jerry Seinfeld in 1979. Jerry Seinfeld is mostly known for his observational comedy style in which he makes an observation about an everyday phenomenon that most people disregard in their daily lives. Comedy, specifically stand-up comedy, allows the audience to view their own culture through a different lens, a humorous one in this case. With this last object I want to give an example of the performing arts so that there is a full circle within the arts and how they are essential parts to any culture. In his shows, Seinfeld uses few tools to convey his message to the audience; primarily language. Language is creative and innovative, and comedians take advantage of this: they create humorous scenes through a combination of skillful word-choice and body language. In this case, Seinfeld’s objective is to highlight the irony and ridiculousness of common practices that no one questions; hence the tiny hangers that carry new socks. Furthermore, this type of humor invites the audience to reflect upon these small details in life that they’re missing, but Seinfeld is simply not. This incentive has a longer lasting effect than one might not consider at first. Perhaps it awakens the audience’s observational skills, pushing them to be more knowledgeable in the areas they desire. Perhaps it makes them more aware of their surroundings, inviting them to explore new practices and even cultures. In general, we can see a clear thread that begins with knowledge and ends with art. The origin is precisely at knowledge, however it is quickly embodied into language where one of its countless manifestations is art; in this case the art of story-telling. In all this process, the experiences of knowledge amount to a single greater entity: culture.