"I don't pretend we have all the answers. But the questions are certainly worth thinking about."
Arthur C. Clarke
I believe that this quotation is the perfect on to start off my TOK journey. As described various times in class, TOK is not about finding answers, but is more about finding the questions to ask. Knowledge is an ever-evolving thing: it almost changes faster than the human race. This quotations seems to imply that the answers already exist but are undiscovered as of yet. The way that it is phrased, though, leaves room for the interpretation that the answers do not yet exist.
I also enjoy the fact that Mr. Clarke uses the word "pretend" in the quotation, implying that believing that everything is known is only an illusion. This is a very Socratic way of looking at knowledge. Those who know that they know very little are in fact the most perceptive. The belief that one knows everything stops that person trying to learn more and improve. If human beings stopped looking for answers, then we might have never reached where we are today in science, technology, and quality of life.
This brings me to my final remarks surrounding this quotation: "the questions are sure worth thinking about". As mentioned above, TOK is not only about looking for answers, but is also about asking questions. The open-ended questions that are formed and discussed in TOK prompt discussion on a variety of different topics. This quotation urges those who see it to not only consider what they know, but form the question the quotation prompts them to. The phrasing of this quotation forces the reader to ask "what are the questions?" When none are given, it is the responsibility of the thinker to ask them.
Arthur C. Clarke
I believe that this quotation is the perfect on to start off my TOK journey. As described various times in class, TOK is not about finding answers, but is more about finding the questions to ask. Knowledge is an ever-evolving thing: it almost changes faster than the human race. This quotations seems to imply that the answers already exist but are undiscovered as of yet. The way that it is phrased, though, leaves room for the interpretation that the answers do not yet exist.
I also enjoy the fact that Mr. Clarke uses the word "pretend" in the quotation, implying that believing that everything is known is only an illusion. This is a very Socratic way of looking at knowledge. Those who know that they know very little are in fact the most perceptive. The belief that one knows everything stops that person trying to learn more and improve. If human beings stopped looking for answers, then we might have never reached where we are today in science, technology, and quality of life.
This brings me to my final remarks surrounding this quotation: "the questions are sure worth thinking about". As mentioned above, TOK is not only about looking for answers, but is also about asking questions. The open-ended questions that are formed and discussed in TOK prompt discussion on a variety of different topics. This quotation urges those who see it to not only consider what they know, but form the question the quotation prompts them to. The phrasing of this quotation forces the reader to ask "what are the questions?" When none are given, it is the responsibility of the thinker to ask them.