EL2512 - Tragedy of Knowledge – Introduction
Setting the Scene
- King Arthur
o When he does not know about the affair, he has his wife and his friend but lives in
ignorance
o When he knows he has knowledge, but has lost everything else
o Knowledge always changes us – not always positively
- ‘For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow’
(Ecc 1:18)
- Knowledge is human capital
o The sword in the stone, happiness comes from knowledge
o Descartes, ‘i think, therefore I am’
- Ordinary myths;
o ‘the fall’ from Hebrew tradition
o Prometheus from Greek tradition
(II) The Fall, Gilgamesh and Faust
- The Fall (Genesis II and III)
o 2 creation myths, ambiguity already – cannot eat from the knowledge tree
o One rule and it is broken immediately
o Knowledge attains identity – Eve only gets her name after eating the apple
o Our way of life only exists because Adam and Eve sought to know
Immanuel Kant, gives us knowledge
Ambiguity; does not say, ‘sin’, ‘fall’, ‘apple’ etc.
- Gilgamesh, tricked by a woman, but gains the knowledge of the Gods – story older than
Genesis
- Sir John Davies, ‘Human Knowledge
o Knowledge is tragedy, but we strive for it
o The cost, danger, benefits of knowledge?
- Faust (1587)
o Renaissance humanist, wants knowledge
Setting the Scene
- King Arthur
o When he does not know about the affair, he has his wife and his friend but lives in
ignorance
o When he knows he has knowledge, but has lost everything else
o Knowledge always changes us – not always positively
- ‘For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow’
(Ecc 1:18)
- Knowledge is human capital
o The sword in the stone, happiness comes from knowledge
o Descartes, ‘i think, therefore I am’
- Ordinary myths;
o ‘the fall’ from Hebrew tradition
o Prometheus from Greek tradition
(II) The Fall, Gilgamesh and Faust
- The Fall (Genesis II and III)
o 2 creation myths, ambiguity already – cannot eat from the knowledge tree
o One rule and it is broken immediately
o Knowledge attains identity – Eve only gets her name after eating the apple
o Our way of life only exists because Adam and Eve sought to know
Immanuel Kant, gives us knowledge
Ambiguity; does not say, ‘sin’, ‘fall’, ‘apple’ etc.
- Gilgamesh, tricked by a woman, but gains the knowledge of the Gods – story older than
Genesis
- Sir John Davies, ‘Human Knowledge
o Knowledge is tragedy, but we strive for it
o The cost, danger, benefits of knowledge?
- Faust (1587)
o Renaissance humanist, wants knowledge
