Episteme and doxa

Episteme, a philosophical term, refers to 'true knowledge' that is opposed to 臆見 (doxa) based on emotion as practical and theoretical knowledge. Greek philosopher Plato talked about the concept of Episteme as a concept that is distinct (confrontation) from the imaginary ideal world of 'idea'.

 

Until the mid-19th century, ontology dominated the world of science, but by the turn of the 20th century, a French philosopher named Gaston Bachelard (1884-1962) established the creative and historical formation of science. In other words, it is said that science has been developed inertia within theological objectives and norms that have passed down since the Middle Ages. However, after Bashlard, it is meaningful that science has revealed that it has creative and subjective ability.

 

At a time when religious ideas were showing many problems, starting with Copernicus, Galileo, and Newton, science began to seize the hegemony of history, showing that the epistemology of science was also changing. Of course, the event that Marxism, an ideology contrary to religious ideas, was born in the name of 'scientific socialism' and transformed into idealism for a long time, causing great harm to human society began around this time.

 

I think that the problem of the world of science, which includes human rational and subjective knowledge, and the blind ideological world close to doxa, such as ideology or religion, needs to be considered in various parts of reality beyond the scope of philosophy. Moreover, given the reality of Korea, which is dizzy with ideology or religion, I think it is necessary to pay attention to the background dominated by doxa rather than episteme.

 

Originally, in order for Episteme to dominate, I think human thinking with a stable inner side in a stable system should be the basis. I think that the subjective, rational, and powerful inner human being is a type of thinking that can come from a stable environment or at least stabilized through internal training.

 

On the contrary, if the state or social system is in an unstable situation where it is threatened externally and internally, poison permeates into the void of social energy that has lost concentration and dominates, which has been wary of by expressing it as "disturbing the people." Even now, we see cases where it is the main culprit of North Korea's "hellish state construction" or South Korea's "national disturbance."

 

The phrase phraseology is a philosophical expression, so it feels a little difficult, but simply, the more confusing a society is, the more confused it is that ideology or religion can be, and a society that is shaken by the confusion can be more involved in ideology or religion. When members of society are lazy or dizzy, I wonder if this is the case. I think there is also a need for an education system that should educate members of society who can think more rationally and independently.

2013.07.04