`zenyx. // went the right way at || 1:20 am
IS submission format. an email has been sent, so i wont give details here. i'll just link the 7 images.
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Haikal went the right way at || 11:10 pm
since the lazy rong en wants my essay to be uploaded............. here goes.
‘Knowledge is power.’ Consider, in relation to the social sciences, or the humanities, or even the sciences, how far this is true of knowledge sharing in a society. (ACJC Promos 2006)
“Knowledge is power,” as proclaimed by Sir Francis Bacon, one of the pioneers in the development of the philosophy of science. Constructing knowledge definitely gives the constructor some form of power over others. Power here is defined to be able to have an advantage over another person, be it tangible or otherwise. The power used does not necessarily have to be positive, but instead can also be negative, because power itself is neutral; only how it is used is not. This is so because it depends on whose power it is referring to. With respect to knowledge sharing, in the case where the receiver of the knowledge gains and is considered positive power, it might sequentially lead to the sharer losing out in some form and thus have negative power. Thus, it is important to distinguish who is gaining or losing the power. There are many instances that knowledge leads to power in different fields of knowledge inquiry as will be shown below.
In scientific inquiry, collaboration is necessary in modern science to ensure that there is development. It is based on building theories on previously known facts or knocking down old theories for better ones based on newfound data. In any case, no scientist can conduct all experiments himself, nor can he be an expert in every single field of science. Thus, he requires the help and effort of previous scientists that have done the relevant research and this is where the knowledge sharing comes in. For example, Albert Einstein’s work on photons was not entirely by him. Instead, he employed the works of Max Planck and developed them further to be able to derive further theorems. Without reference to previous works, who knows if Einstein might have developed his work as outreaching as we know it to be today. These kinds of incidents are aplenty among the scientific community and are applicable for different scientific fields.
In aesthetic knowledge, institutionalists agree that knowledge is created when a piece of artwork is perceived as good or bad when a group of professionals in that field of art says it is. The rest of us who are regarded as no better than these professionals create this aesthetic knowledge only when they share it with us. In the theory of institutionalism, our aesthetic responses to these artworks strictly do not matter at all, since if those responses by professionals contradict ours, theirs would be considered to be of higher value and a better response. In which case, then our responses are merely responses and do not have to be taken seriously at all. Thus, these professionals are the ones with the power to determine whether an artwork is good or bad, and to a greater extent, also have the power to influence the rest of the community on which artwork is good or bad.
A trivial example on the sharing of resources can be about sharing essays to gain better insights that we otherwise might never have access to. When we share essays with one another, we are given the chance to learn from the mistake of others and improve on previously erroneous areas. With the knowledge of other peoples’ essays, we are in the position and have the power to produce a better work. Similarly, when scientists produce almost similar work, more knowledge can be constructed if they share their findings and results together. Afterall, science is based on its collaborative nature and the fact that it is innately inductive. This leads to the conclusion that more findings that cohere can only make a theory a better one because the theory has shown to be applicable in more areas and thus is also more general. With that, theory then has more power to put itself onto various scenarios and still work as it should.
However, this is not always true. With respect to the humanities, or history in particular, many should be familiar with the saying, “History is made by winners”. This is especially evident in 2 countries, China and Japan, where the education system provides 2 absolutely different accounts of World War 2. The most obvious case is “The Rape of Nanking”. In Japan, the education system has made no mention of the incident at all in the history textbooks. The lack of knowledge-sharing here yields power to the Japanese government. Its people are ignorant of the actual history of the World War II as accepted by China and other countries and thus lack that knowledge.
This lack of knowledge sharing is especially evident in the political arena and political science. It may have been done in the interest of the individual instead of the community and in the process, allows the community to view a particular problem in a skewed manner and flawed manner. The individual can be said to have the power to infuse false notions into the community. For example, the US government is believed by many to have withheld important information about Iraq so that it was able to convince the public that going to war with Iraq would prevent an otherwise “greater World War”. Eventually, it was realised and has been accepted by many that Iraq never possessed the nuclear weapons that the US claimed it has and has in fact been fooled by the US into believing as such because of the lack of necessary information.
In conclusion, it seems that people can weld power regardless of whether there is knowledge creation involved or not. Indeed, the ability to construct or de-construct (in the case of hiding or misleading of information) can lead to a particular individual gaining an advantage and have significant power over some other people or even a community. In the case of science and aesthetics, it is also shown that they are necessarily fields of knowledge that require knowledge sharing in other to expand as a greater rate that in its absence.
A01 - 11/15
A02 - 7/10
A03 - 3/5
Total - 21/30 =)
Comments: Certainly in the right direction
*edited by shaun - your scores are correct, but 20 15 and 5 for your max marks make 40, not 30. hahaha. corrected to 15,10,5.
`zenyx. // went the right way at || 10:55 pm
hey peeps. i know the blog is kinda dead, but i need all the social science presentations so that i can post them here. so if u haf not yet done so, please send me asap. cts starting in a week! =x
thankew. x)
Haikal went the right way at || 10:43 pm
hey guys... HOPEFULLY, along with mugging for CTs, you all don't forget your ISes yeahh.. =) Well.. I signed up for collegeboard.com and I'm sure many of you taking SATs have too.. I found this neat article reading writing college papers (about the same standard at which we are writing our ISes) and I thought it would be good to share it with all you. so yup... I'm just gonna copy paste the thing here.
Credit to collegeboard.com.
Disclaimer: Content is that of collegeboard.com and in no way relation to Haikal. :P
It may seem A BIT draggy too :P
Writing a College Paper
Persuade Your Audience, Get the Grade
You might feel a bit overwhelmed the first time you're assigned to write a college paper—the material you cover in class is probably more advanced than what you're used to, and your professor will expect your thinking to be on an equally high level. However, if you apply an organized writing process to your paper, you'll quickly be able to craft compelling arguments and back them up with supporting evidence.
Start with Structure
Whether you're analyzing facts in a research paper or interpreting texts in a critical paper, your job boils down to convincing your audience of the validity of your interpretation. Give your paper a clear structure—begin with an argument of some kind, which is laid out through a series of claims, each of which is supported by evidence. Your paper should answer three basic questions:
§ What is the evidence? This question is answered with a presentation of your research or with evidence from the texts.
§ What is your interpretation of the evidence? This question is answered with your interpretation of the factual material or texts.
§ Who cares? This question is answered with a statement of your argument.
Keep Your Focus Narrow
For a short assignment (say, from three to five pages), you may want to choose an argument that can be demonstrated in three or four simple steps. For a longer paper, you can choose a more ambitious argument.
Establish Your Argument in the First Paragraph
Your goal should be to introduce your paper with an argument or claim of some kind. In one prominent sentence, state a case; put yourself on the line by establishing a position you then have to defend in the body of the paper.
Suppose you've decided to evaluate two theories of economic growth in Mozambique. Instead of opening with a list of facts about Mozambique, try to establish your argument by stating briefly which theory is best and why.
Make Your Argument Specific and Compelling
Compare the following claims:
§ Okay: "Dependency models are better than core-periphery models."This argument is far too general—your job is not only to choose among these models of economic development, but to decide which differences between them matter and why. Also, when an argument is too general, it's too easy for your reader to come up with a counterargument before even reading your work.
§ Better: "The economic history of Mozambique shows that dependency models are better than core-periphery models."This takes you a step closer but still doesn't include the final step of calling the reader's attention to how and why these models are important and worthy of comparison.
§ Best: "The economic history of Mozambique shows that dependency models better explain economic underdevelopment than core-periphery models, particularly in regions of the world relatively unaffected by cold war politics of the 1960s and 1970s."A statement like this one gives your reader a clear sense of where you're going to take your argument, as well as hinting at why these differences matter.
Tip: If you're writing a research paper
Develop a counterargument to your own. Collect those facts that don't fit neatly into your argument and spell them out in a paragraph near the end of your paper. Identify which hypothesis they appear to support. Then, in a few sentences, explain why, despite this seemingly damaging evidence, the hypothesis, model, or theory you've chosen to support is better. Don't underestimate the power of this strategy—it is a sophisticated signal of your confidence in your work.
Double-Check Your First Paragraph
When you are finished writing, look back over the first paragraph. Can you identify which sentence states your case? Will it be clear to your reader exactly what your argument is? Have you ensured that your reader cannot walk away from your paper thinking, "Who cares?"
Bolster Your Ideas with Strong Writing
Here are some ways to strengthen your argument and its presentation:
§ Build your argument in steps. Make sure your sentences follow one another logically and coherently. Include clear transitions between your paragraphs.
§ Thoroughly express concepts and claims. For each assertion you make, ask yourself, Have I really defended this claim or merely stated it?
§ Don't include only one or two quick factual references, but a number of them that range throughout your paper and show your familiarity with, and understanding of, the material in question.
§ Write clearly and convincingly. Take some care with the phrases you construct, the metaphors you employ, and the words you choose.
Tip: If you're writing a critical paper
Don't lean on secondary sources. These may tempt you to rely on the arguments presented by their authors rather than to form your own. Make this a conversation between you, Melville, and Hawthorne, or whomever. Use your own judgments and insights to answer the question—and don't be hesitant about presenting criticisms of the authors under consideration.
Cite Your Sources
Here are a few guidelines for presenting evidence in your paper:
§ Provide a citation for material in your paper that is not your own. This includes items such as a quick page reference; a few facts quoted directly from your source; or an occasional longer passage, table, or chart that you deem important enough to include in the body of your writing.
§ Use footnotes, endnotes, or in-text citations to cite your sources. Your professor will specify which format to use. Whatever method you choose, use it consistently throughout your paper.
A Final Note
Try to have fun with your essay. Prove your points, but don't forget that your paper is also an exercise in creativity and communication. Work on your ability to fine-tune a point and really develop it. Your paper should illustrate who you are as a thinker.
kel went the right way at || 7:32 pm
...at risk of bad pun, I shall insert my initial reaction - Oh my God. But has anyone considered that different modes of inquiry require different thing? The prof obviously hasn't the silly bugger. All hail the student.
National Junior College
Pioneer batch of KI students =D
2kiB
06s04, 06s14, 06s19, 06s23, 06a01
Haikal
Shaun
--anyone else got blogs they wanna link?
Credits
