Is Knowledge Power?

[Lincsong]

The faculties of the great universities possess, in the aggregate, practically every form of general knowledge known to civilization. However, most of the professors have but little money. They specialize on teaching knowledge, but they do not specialize on the organization or use of knowledge.

That being said, I must ask; "Is knowledge POWER?"[huh] Can a person be knowledgable but not powerful? On the flip side can someone be powerful but not knowledgable?[huh]

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Professors can be very powerful. They can cast the mold of a generation. Future leaders in politics, business, the arts, etc. are often led onto a certain path by their college professors. A few educators come to mind: George Santayana, John Maynard Keynes, Jim Shenton, Jacques Barzun, Milton Friedman.

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[Tomasso]

Can a person be knowledgable but not powerful?On the flip side can someone be powerful but not knowledgable?[huh]

Generally speaking, Money=Power.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

True ... and professors teach/mold the moneyed, some of whom who will later have the power to go with it.

(And yes, they also teach/mold the non-moneyed who later acquire wealth, or power, or both.)

.

 

[Paisley]

To be powerful, you not only have to have knowledge but a way of getting it across. There also has to be a need for the knowledge, or you have to create a desire for it. I have an engineering degree but found so little demand for it that I gave up engineering as a career. I've found far more demand for my knowledge of putting together documents in Word.

Then there are those who are good communicators but have little knowledge. Dr. Laura, for instance, is a "doctor" who dispenses advice, but I don't think her degree is in psychology, let along psychiatry. Then there are celebrities such as Bono who champion various social and political causes that have nothing to do with their expertise of music or acting.

 

[Tomasso]

True ... and professors teach/mold the moneyed, some of whom who will later have the power to go with it.

(And yes, they also teach/mold the non-moneyed who later acquire wealth,

.

And, the elite professors are found in the richest schools, in the richest country.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Well, yes. The most ambitious professors tend to go where the money is. Salaries, grants, research facilities.

.

 

[LizzieMaine]

It ain't what you know, it's who you know. A sad fact of life I've seen played out time and again.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Lizzie, the Chileans have a word for it: pituto.

.

 

[jamespowers]

Knowledge is power but it has nothing to do with book learning. Just a few examples:
Charles Knox (Knox Hats)
Andrew Carnegy
Henry Ford
etc., etc.
Sometimes just knowing how to do something someone else doesn't is powerful enough to make you money. We all know the old phrase about teaching versus doing.

Regards,

J

 

[Briscoeteque]

The faculties of the great universities possess, in the aggregate, practically every form of general knowledge known to civilization. However, most of the professors have but little money. They specialize on teaching knowledge, but they do not specialize on the organization or use of knowledge.

That being said, I must ask; "Is knowledge POWER?"[huh] Can a person be knowledgable but not powerful? On the flip side can someone be powerful but not knowledgable?[huh]

Knowledge is power, but power is not knowledge. A truly knowledgeable person essentially has some power, but scores, if not hundreds of incredibly powerful humans have been positively clueless.

Also, professors may have little money, but most professors are more than just teachers. I can't really think of a professor of mine that hasn't participated in research or written published work. Money is a powerful thing, but it's not the sole indicator of power or influence. Gandhi was not a particularly rich man, but look at that kind of power! Richer men would have completely failed at doing what he did.

 

[Lauren]

Depends. I know a lot of unmotivated knowledgable people. I think it's how you use the knowledge that matters. And contrary to popular belief, knowledge does not neccessarily equal a college degree.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Knowledge is empowering. Without knowledge we are doomed to our "lot in life", to remain in our "station" (for many, of course, this means remaining at the "top", where they began due to family, or whatever other influence).

With a little knowledge and alot of effort, everyone can gain power, whatever the field of endeavour. for all my cynicism, i hope this is true.

bk

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Gandhi was not a particularly rich man, but look at that kind of power!

Ah, but Nehru once said that it took a lot of money to keep Gandhi in poverty. lol


P.S. Your jacket is on its way!

.

 

[jamespowers]

Put simply, the ones who create the knowledge that others teach really have the power. Witness Alexander Graham Bell.

Regards,

J

 

[Haversack]

I think you can use science as an analogy. Pure science is the study and discovery of underlying principals of what things are and how things work. Applied Science is taking what is known from pure science and applying it to solve a problem, achieve a result, etc. There is knowledge, and there is knowing how to apply that knowledge. Two different things.

Haversack.

 

[Lincsong]

Splendid Postings.

Everyone has taken some deep thoughts into their postings.

Knowledge will not attract money, unless it is organized, and intelligently directed, through practical plans of action, to the definite end of accumulation of money.

So can we conclude that; knowledge is only potential power?[huh]

Can we say that knowledge becomes power only when, and if, it is organized into definite plans of action and directed to this definite end?[huh]

 

[Harp]

IKP?

Intrinsic value and practical application aside,
knowledge ultimately reveals the true extent of innate human
ignorance, as Whitehead remarked. From this realization
follows the astigmatic solipsism of nihilist moral relativity,
or the belief that the Chicago Cubs are destined to win
a World Series.

 

[ProperRogue]

Everyone has taken some deep thoughts into their postings.

Knowledge will not attract money, unless it is organized, and intelligently directed, through practical plans of action, to the definite end of accumulation of money.

So can we conclude that; knowledge is only potential power?[huh]

Can we say that knowledge becomes power only when, and if, it is organized into definite plans of action and directed to this definite end?[huh]

I had a grad school professor who used to remind us on a weekly basis of that very statement - knowledge is only potential power - along with the statement that knowledge gives us the direction for action, not the energy or movement. Knowledge only becomes power, and thus valuable, when coupled with desire and motivation to grow into intelligence and intelligent action. When intelligence is coupled with experience, then we get something very powerful and very valuable called wisdom.

PR

 

[Alighieri]

To be powerful, you not only have to have knowledge but a way of getting it across. There also has to be a need for the knowledge, or you have to create a desire for it. I have an engineering degree but found so little demand for it that I gave up engineering as a career. I've found far more demand for my knowledge of putting together documents in Word.

Then there are those who are good communicators but have little knowledge. Dr. Laura, for instance, is a "doctor" who dispenses advice, but I don't think her degree is in psychology, let along psychiatry. Then there are celebrities such as Bono who champion various social and political causes that have nothing to do with their expertise of music or acting.

The "good" Dr. Laura is not a doctor of Phycology or Psychiatry, she is a Doctor of Phisiology. http://www.drlaura.com/about/ I have the same degree in a undergraduate and some post grad work. I can tell you that it doesn't qualify you to give out narrow minded, and misguided advice on relationships though she seems to think so. She never tells what she is a doctor of, people assume and she lets them.

As to the "knowlege is power" discussion, the knowledge must be applied to be powerful. Teachers are "powerful" as they mold the future through the kids they teach. They apply their knowledge to those that will bring about the future thus they are powerful. It is rare that someone who is without knowledge becomes powerful. We see it thoughout history those that have applied the knowledge they have to something become powerful. Patton knew how to lead men and how to instill fear and respect in those men so they followed him without question. Rommel was a great tactician. Hitler knew how to harness a sentiment and take a digruntled and broken people and join them under a cause to lead them, though he relied heavily on the writings of Machiavelli and Nietzsche for his methods. JFK used his charisma and personality to get a whole nation to buy into the "Camelot" dream. All these men became powerful due to the knowlege that they applied to their goals.

Sincerely,

Alighieri