Personal Knowledge
Personal Knowledge
Michael Polanyi
Charles Koch
[One of four books] where I learned how the world works. - Charles Koch
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Personal Knowledge

Personal Knowledge : Towards a Post-Critical Philosophy

Michael Polanyi
By
Michael Polanyi
4.3
409
ratings on Goodreads

In "Personal Knowledge," Michael Polanyi masterfully challenges the boundaries of epistemology, weaving a compelling argument against the stark frameworks of positivist thought that dominated the 20th century. With his unique background as a chemist turned philosophical thinker, Polanyi introduces the concept of tacit knowledge—the idea that we know more than we can tell. This foundational work delves deep into the intricacies of how we come to understand the world, proposing that true knowledge transcends mere empirical evidence and logical reasoning. Polanyi's exploration is a daring journey into the personal coefficients of knowing, asserting that passion, commitment, and a leap of faith are essential in the pursuit of understanding. Beyond its profound philosophical contributions, Polanyi's discourse has ripple effects across diverse disciplines, from theology to artificial intelligence, influencing how scholars and practitioners conceive of knowledge's role and reach. "Personal Knowledge" is not just a book; it is a manifesto for a more nuanced and human-centric approach to knowledge, arguing that discovery and innovation are rooted in the personal and sometimes inexplicable realms of human experience. Through Polanyi's eyes, we are invited to reconsider not just how we know, but why we seek to know, making this work an enduring contribution to the ongoing conversation about the nature and nurture of human intellect.

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Released
1958
1 Jan
Length
428
Pages

1

recommendations

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[One of four books] where I learned how the world works. - Charles Koch
So far as we know, the tiny fragments of the universe embodied in man are the only centers of thought and responsibility in the visible world. If that be so, the appearance of the human mind has been so far the ultimate stage in the awakening of the world; and all that has gone before, the striving of myriad centers that have taken the risks of living and believing, seem to have all been pursuing, along rival lines, the aim now achieved by us up to this point. They are all akin to us, for all these centers - those which led up to our own existence and the far more numerous others which produced different lines of which many are extinct - may be seen engaged in the same endeavor towards ultimate liberation. We may envisage then a cosmic field which called forth all these centers by offering them a short-lived, limited, hazardous opportunity for making some progress of their own towards an unthinkable consummation. And that is also, I believe, how a Christian is placed when worshiping God.
— Michael Polanyi, Personal Knowledge

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