Am interested in when / where this POV entered civilisation trajectories. It is more common to refer to the venerable, the knowledgeable, the skilled, or as we say these days, 'experts', and to look for 'authority'?
Oh, I think this has always been the case, Philip.
As herding animals, we do tend to follow other pack members who seem to be more knowledgeable of the 'terrain' around us. It's our nature.
That said, we all start our lives full of ignorance, awe, and curiosity.
Then, we become 'knowledgeable', as you said, and we get trapped in this false notion of believing that we know everything there is to know.
The few who manage to touch some form of true wisdom, actually close this loop, by 'returning' to ignorance, awe, and curiosity.
A new loop begins, and this is how humanity evolves.
Now, to get back to your initial remark, my take is that at this point of humanity's trajectory we, as a culture, tend to accept modern science as the ultimate bearer of the absolute truth, when by definition, science asks questions with the goal to shed just a little bit more light into the unknown.
Sorry for my belated response. I was onto some pretty unscientific stuff!
Am interested in when / where this POV entered civilisation trajectories. It is more common to refer to the venerable, the knowledgeable, the skilled, or as we say these days, 'experts', and to look for 'authority'?
Oh, I think this has always been the case, Philip.
As herding animals, we do tend to follow other pack members who seem to be more knowledgeable of the 'terrain' around us. It's our nature.
That said, we all start our lives full of ignorance, awe, and curiosity.
Then, we become 'knowledgeable', as you said, and we get trapped in this false notion of believing that we know everything there is to know.
The few who manage to touch some form of true wisdom, actually close this loop, by 'returning' to ignorance, awe, and curiosity.
A new loop begins, and this is how humanity evolves.
Now, to get back to your initial remark, my take is that at this point of humanity's trajectory we, as a culture, tend to accept modern science as the ultimate bearer of the absolute truth, when by definition, science asks questions with the goal to shed just a little bit more light into the unknown.
Sorry for my belated response. I was onto some pretty unscientific stuff!