Can we have beliefs or knowledge, which are independent of our culture?

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GUNJAN JAIN                                                                                              Candidate Number – 006166-007

TOK ESSAY

Can we have beliefs or knowledge, which are independent of our culture?

Gunjan Jain

Candidate Number – 006166-007

Culture, according to me, defines the way we behave, interact, the way we wear and in other words culture defines what we are. However, our question is do culture define our knowledge or beliefs too? CAN WE HAVE BELEIFS OR KNOWLEDGE, WHICH ARE INDEPENDENT OF CULTURE?

Before heading on let us understand what do I meant by culture here.
Culture includes the attitudes, feelings, values, and behavior that characterizes and inform society as a whole or any social group within it.
 Obviously, a person resided in a particular society or culture will bear its impact too but are these that much strong that they can actually influence the knowledge?

Let us take an example from our daily life. When we see our clock at school or at home, we never bother to think beyond what is obvious, why are we using clocks, which have been divided, into 12 parts? Why a day is divided into 24 parts? On asking from various people, I found the reply that ‘since it is been taught to us and we have seen all others following the same, that is why we too have not questioned anything.’ This psychology prevents people from investigating and they adopt the knowledge while considering it as ‘Obvious’ and from here onwards cultural impact on knowledge gets started.

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This example suggests that what our culture teaches us we start following the same. Culture is therefore influencing our knowledge.

The way through which we convey our knowledge that is our Language is too influenced by our culture. This cultural impact cannot be ignored, as almost all pieces of information have to be conveyed through our language. Let us try to think what piece of knowledge can be gained without the use of language. Ancient people have left history for us in written matter, which is too a part of language and hence of CULTURE. However if we go in ...

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