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What is the relationship between knowledge and culture?
This theory of knowledge exhibition examines the relationship between knowledge and culture through three significant objects: the lungfish fossil, the Japanese kimono, and The Bhagavad Gita. The IB paper writer uses the lungfish fossil to explain how scientific discoveries revise the cultural narrative of the origin of life. The Japanese kimono reflects traditional craftsmanship and cultural identity, showing how knowledge is preserved across generations. The Bhagavad Gita finally represents the way in which spiritual knowledge provides meaning to ethical structures and cultural beliefs. Together, these objects in this sample paper demonstrate the interconnectedness of knowledge and culture, each influencing and shaping the other.
Octobre 11, 2024
* The sample essays are for browsing purposes only and are not to be submitted as original work to avoid issues with plagiarism.
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Student’s Name
Professor’s Name
Course
Date
What is the relationship between knowledge and culture?
Knowledge and culture are related to each other through a dynamic process, constantly
renewed by new insights and discoveries. The growth of knowledge often reshapes beliefs and
practices within societies and can be extremely culturally changing. This exhibition will address
the prompt "What is the relationship between knowledge and culture?" by analyzing three unique
objects: the lungfish fossil, the Japanese kimono, and The Bhagavad Gita.
Object 1: The Lungfish Fossil
Image Source: https://images.app.goo.gl/es5bYoDeUqRd2cQL7
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The first object I have chosen is the lungfish fossil, a paleontological find that shared evidence of
the lungfish family, able to survive in both aquatic and terrestrial environments. Lungfish was an
ancient freshwater fish with both gills and lungs; thus, it was one of the most important species
for learning about the evolutionary transition of life from water to land. It is roughly 400 million
years old and has been very influential in the field of evolutionary biology. The fossil was a huge
discovery that provided critical evidence for the evolutionary development of vertebrates, against
long-held cultural notions concerning the origins of life (Dixit). The lungfish fossil directly
associates with the prompt, depicting how new scientific discoveries reshape cultural
understanding. Fossil evidence of an evolutionary transition among species shakes older cultural
narratives of creationism, especially those that explain life's origins in static and supernatural
terms. As scientific knowledge on evolution came increasingly into being through discoveries
such as that of the fossil of the lungfish, cultural beliefs concerning the place of man in the
natural world needed to be revised (Otero 237). This shows, therefore, that the relationship
between knowledge and culture is dynamic and evolving. This object thus illustrates that
knowledge does not exist in a vacuum but is deeply intertwined with the cultural contexts in
which it is discovered, interpreted, and disseminated. The exhibition makes this point by
showing how knowledge, such as the discovery of the lungfish, reconfigures cultural beliefs.
Knowledge forces culture to shift and change, and culture modifies the meaning of knowledge
and its acceptability.
Object 2: Japanese Kimono
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Image Source: https://images.app.goo.gl/mef5u4AxrinqraJw6
The next object I have selected is the Japanese kimono, a wrap-around garment with long
sleeves, traditionally made from silk and patterned with intricate colors, which was Japan's
traditional wear. It has strong cultural value in Japanese history, aesthetics, and social relations. It
is usually worn on very special occasions, such as weddings, festivals, and even tea ceremonies,
which denote the wearer's status and age and the time of year. The kimono is not just a garment;
it is the bearer of Japan's cultural heritage and an artwork unto itself (Goldstein-Gidoni 360). The
Japanese kimono is directly linked to the prompt because it represents how cultural practice is
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shaping and preserving knowledge, on the one hand, while knowledge, on its part, shapes
cultural identity. For instance, the design and production of kimonos require traditional
knowledge of dyeing, weaving, and sewing techniques passed down through many generations.
Such knowledge is deeply instilled in the various cultural practices and aesthetics reflecting
Japanese values of craftsmanship, beauty, and harmony with nature. The kimono represents the
point at which cultural identity and artistic expression meet, showing how knowledge related to
textiles and fashion informs a wider cultural narrative (Wardaya, Bestari and Kindisari 162).
Thus, the kimono illustrates the interrelationship between knowledge and culture, demonstrating
the ways in which cultural practices change while retaining links back to historical and artistic
traditions. The study of the Kimono reflects that knowledge also informs cultural expression as
well as preserves and transforms cultural identity over time, representing the intricate
relationship between knowledge and culture.
Object 3: The Bhagavad Gita
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Image Source: https://images.app.goo.gl/6j1oaztzbW5zonV99
The final object I have chosen is The Bhagavad Gita. It is a 700-verse Hindu scripture part of the
Indian epic, the Mahabharata. A holy text of the Hindu faith, it represents a portion of the
conversation between Prince Arjuna and his charioteer, Lord Krishna. In it, Krishna teaches
spiritual wisdom and guides on the profound philosophical and ethical dilemmas regarding
which actions to choose on the battlefield. The Bhagavad Gita links directly to the prompt by
showing how spiritual and philosophical knowledge informs cultural values, practices, and
identities. The Gita addresses basic questions of duty, righteousness, and reality; hence, leading
to insights that shape ethical frameworks at the levels of individuals and societies. For this
reason, the Gita has become a cornerstone of Indian Cultural identity, showing how knowledge
shapes the values of society and individual behavior (Feuerstein). The Bhagavad Gita represents
the intersection of knowledge and culture in the construction of religious beliefs and ethics.
These teachings reach beyond the confines of religion to affect other aspects of Indian culture in
ways of art, literature, and social norms. This religious text, therefore, further consolidates the
notion that knowledge and culture are part of a complex interplay within one continuous
development process that is always subject to the value and belief systems prevalent within every
society, coupled with the experiences they have. The object, therefore, is a strong reminder that
spiritual and philosophical knowledge forms part of the cultural identity from which flows both
personal beliefs and the shaping of communal practices, societal norms, and insight into life's
dilemmas in this ever-changing world.
Conclusion
Ultimately, the lungfish fossil, the Japanese kimono, and The Bhagavad Gita all symbolize one
very specific relationship between knowledge and culture. Each object describes one way in
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which knowledge can challenge, preserve, and mold cultural beliefs and practices and shows
that, in fact, the relationship between knowledge and culture is dynamic and mutual.
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Works Cited
Dixit, M. Fossil of 210 million-year-old lungfish that predates dinosaurs discovered. 9 August
2024. 7 October 2024.
<https://interestingengineering.com/science/210-million-year-old-lungfish-dinosaur>.
Feuerstein, Georg. Introduction to the Bhagavad Gita: Its Philosophy and Cultural Setting. Rider
& Company, 2020.
Goldstein-Gidoni, Ofra. "Kimono and the Construction of Gendered and Cultural Identities."
Ethnology 38.4 (2020): 351-364.
Otero, Olga. "Current knowledge and new assumptions on the evolutionary history of the
African lungfish, Protopterus, based on a review of its fossil record." Fish and Fisheries
12.3 (2011): 235-255.
Wardaya, A. I., A. G. Bestari and A. Kindisari. "Fashion as an Expression of Cultural Identity in
the Digital Age." Journal of Research in Social Science And Humanities 4.1 (2024):
161-164.
Octobre 11, 2024
24/7 custom essay writing by real academic writers
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Academic level:
High School
Type of paper:
IB ToK exhibition
Discipline:
Philosophy
Citation:
MLA
Pages:
3 (825 words)
Spacing:
Double
* The sample essays are for browsing purposes only and are not to be submitted as original work to avoid issues with plagiarism.
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