Knowledge for the Powerful?

Knowledge is an awareness regarding any phenomenon which can be acquired through observation, experiences, experiments and set beliefs. Plato proposed three-criteria for knowledge to be registered or established; it must be justified, true and believed. Through knowledge, we pass information. There are three types of knowledge; explicit, implicit and tactic (documented information, applied information and understood information).

Knowledge exists in the form of a narrative. Narrative is then propagated through multiple mediums whether it is through books, newspapers, literature etc. Other forms are films, media, music, etc. These above-mentioned tools are used to inculcate certain knowledge or narrative among the masses.

Famous intellectual and novelist Thomas Mann says “everything is politics”. He believes that everything that we see around is political and exists in its original form due to interests involved with it.

To understand knowledge and its relation with politics, we have to understand the theory of power knowledge coined by Foucault. His theory deals with the relationship between power and knowledge. He believes that power is constituted through an accepted form of knowledge, as per Plato’s three criteria of knowledge. Foucault’s theory implies that production of knowledge is power-oriented. Power can be political, religious or emotional. The one with more power will produce more authoritative and assertive knowledge.

Knowledge is produced to build certain narratives as well. For example, in the colonial period, a lot of knowledge was produced in order to legitimize imperialist rule. In contrast to it, much oriental literature was written. If we see colonial time, there were mass killings and plundering by the colonialists. But they portrayed, through their literature (knowledge), that they were torch bearers of enlightenment and modern reforms. It is quite evident that production of knowledge has issues at its core. Currently, knowledge is biased and tempered. Plus, it has been limited to the West only. Developed countries produce knowledge, and third-world countries consume.

If we observe modern trends to acquire knowledge, we see a very horrific situation. The knowledge and research produced in major countries through research journals are mostly subscription based and one must pay a good sum of money just to read a single file or download any required article, or piece of information, or book. It shows how the West has made a monopoly over knowledge. And whenever we witness oppression, or the so-called Western reforms in less developed countries, we see a lot of literature was produced, and narrative was induced to legitimize their atrocities. There’s more to show than there’s to know for the case of colonizers.