The Pursuit of Knowledge: Needs, Types, and Impact

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Introduction

To address the issue of the pursuit of knowledge, we will adopt a motivational point of view based on the study of motives that drive individuals to seek knowledge.

We will explore reasons beyond mere lack and consider the needs of self-realization. Understanding the motivations behind the pursuit of knowledge is crucial when examining philosophical schools of thought.

Needs to Know

Among human needs, we find the "need to know."

However, Maslow's hierarchy of needs does not explicitly include a need to know. This is because all types of needs are related to knowledge. Therefore, the pursuit of knowledge can be motivated by any type of need.

Whether a need functions as a need to know depends not on its type but on how it operates – whether it compels individuals to respond to life's demands through the acquisition of knowledge.

Hierarchical Differences Between Needs to Know

Even though all needs can function as needs to know, not every need leads to the pursuit of every kind of knowledge.

There is a hierarchical difference between higher and lower needs, as well as between higher and lower forms of knowledge. Superior knowledge can only be sought after by higher needs; it cannot be attained by pursuing lower-ranking needs.

Therefore, the type of knowledge that can be acquired depends on the need motivating the search.

Two kinds of needs – those arising from lack and those arising from self-realization – encourage individuals to seek knowledge in two distinct ways, leading to two different kinds of knowledge.

The Need to Know Arising from Lack: The Know-Instrument

Lack as the Primary Motivator for the Pursuit of Knowledge

The first needs that humans experience are also the first to function as needs to know.

These needs arise from lack, encompassing both objective and experiential deficiencies.

Therefore, lack and these two groups of needs are the primary motivational forces driving the pursuit of relevant knowledge.

Concept of Knowledge-Instrument

Needs arising from lack drive individuals to establish relationships of dependency and interest.

Consequently, the knowledge sought after in response to these needs is connected to these relationships, enabling individuals to effectively navigate them.

This function of knowledge can be likened to a tool used by individuals to achieve their purposes, particularly those related to the preservation and development of life.

Due to its instrumental function, this type of knowledge can be termed "know-instrument."

Thus, the first path in the pursuit of knowledge, originating from lack and deficiency needs, leads to the acquisition of know-instrument.

Properties of Knowledge-Instrument

Know-instrument is a tool with a collective purpose, as it can serve not just an individual but an entire society. Therefore, the term "knowledge-instrument" carries a social connotation.

There is a relationship between knowledge as a tool and social activities: Know-instrument (driven by needs arising from lack and deficiency) facilitates interest-based relationships, which in turn shape social activities.

Among the properties that characterize know-instrument are control, effectiveness, and usefulness. These properties give it value. Control enables individuals to exert dominion over certain facts, while effectiveness and usefulness are determined by the ability to obtain practical applications and advantages.

In addition, know-instrument possesses a third property: it arises from motivational forces operating within a consistent interconnected framework.

This interconnected framework forms the structural basis for a multitude of social activities, including industrial activities, policy activities (administration of justice), and research conducted by large companies and governments.

Within this framework, science and technology occupy the position of know-instrument in our time, resulting in their enormous influence on our social activities.

The Influence of Know-Instrument on the Relationship Between Humans and Things

Knowledge acquired in response to lack assumes an instrumental role.

This instrumental characteristic reflects the situation in which both humans and things find themselves.

The first (negative) aspect of this situation is division: our intelligence is compelled to develop knowledge as a tool for interacting with things because there is a lack of unity between us and them.

The second (positive) aspect is accessibility: although there is no inherent unity between humans and things, things are within our reach. If they were not, developing know-instrument to interact with them would be impossible.

Know-instrument is something that falls within our power. The development of all forms of know-instrument, from simple to complex, suggests the accessibility of the things that are the subject of knowledge.

The Role of Know-Instrument in the Cycle of Lack and Satisfaction

Satisfaction and improvement are vital forms of positivity achieved by fulfilling needs.

Know-instrument contributes to this form of positivity because it is sought after in response to deficiencies and its application can be used to address them.

Know-instrument operates within the cycle of lack and satisfaction. As a collective instrument, it provides satisfaction to society as a whole. The level of prosperity achieved by developed societies can be seen as a testament to the usefulness and effectiveness of the know-instrument they possess.

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