Many Opinions, About What Knowledge?

The New Information and Communication Technologies (NTIC) have become an integral part of our life. Little by little, they have begun to transform our education and the way we learn. Today, we can say that the Internet is a separate universe, which together with the use of different devices such as tablets, smartphones and all social media platforms modify and influence our opinions.

At this point, the so-called “knowledge society” would mean precisely the good use of the vast and infinite information provided by the Internet. With this technology, we can communicate better, but above all to forge better opinions and reach a higher intellectual level.

We all have the right to have an opinion, even about noise and junk information

The philosopher and writer, Umberto Eco, harshly criticizes what he called the “society of ignorance.” In the last of his books, From stupidity to madness , he compiled a selection of his articles in the press before he died that talk about society, the internet or the future of education and writing.

An analysis of the news, both from the perspective of the events themselves and from the behavior of the protagonists, in which he reviews different news, television programs and political issues in a humorous and sarcastic tone:

The subtle big difference between opinions and knowledge

Many experts have meditated on these two concepts, apparently similar, but deep down so different. Because, despite the fact that an opinion is forged on the basis of solid and well-learned knowledge, the truth is that they are different terms. Thus, we come to great classical philosophers, such as Plato, to figures such as Kierkegaard, who would mark contemporary thought with his ideas.

On the one hand, Plato already distinguished between these two terms of opinion and knowledge in The Republic, in the context of a just society or city. For Plato, those who only indulge and satisfy themselves with superficiality – such as colors and figures – do not have access to true knowledge. However, the man who is able to observe these forms or figures and converts them into ideas, gets to know in what context they participate.

For his part, the great 19th century thinker, Soren Kierkegaard, claimed in a text that can be translated as “Two ages”, that the only way to acquire knowledge is through silence. In such a way, that the philosopher raises the idea that first you have to know how to listen, pay attention and not be distracted, to later delve into thought, without giving an opinion.

Despite the centuries of history and thought that separates us from these thinkers, the truth is that they very well pose the current condition of what we understand today by the society of opinion. Although it is true that the truth in some cases can be relative, in the end knowledge is absolute and cannot be devalued, since we risk defending, above all, all opinions and individual self-expression over pure knowledge.

“Less chatter and more silence to hear those who know”

Nowadays, Manuel Gil Antón, professor at the Center for Sociological Studies of COLMEX (Colegio de México), was that forceful last year during a discussion on educational reform. And, during the debate, there was a lot of talk about the importance of giving more voice to those who have more knowledge, and therefore can express better opinions, since only in this way is it possible to reach a more just society , and to greater collective well-being.

The age of ignorance is how Professor Charles Simic, in an article published in 2012 in the New York Review, defined society today. In the text, Simic, after realizing that the population came to believe that Obama was Muslim, concluded that we are facing a “rebellion of opaque minds against intelligence” and that “stupidity is one of the great forces of history ”.