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4. A knowers perspective is essential in the pursuit of knowledge. To what extent do you

agree?
Without perspective there would be no such thing as knowledge; this has always been my
belief, and will remain my belief. A knowers perspective is what brings and builds a framework
for knowledge to spring out of. Without it, it is impossible to determine where one has started
and where one can go (intellectually). But what defines a pursuit of knowledge? Can knowledge
be actively pursued in the first place? Does the acquiry of knowledge occur in a more passive
manner? All of these questions must be answered in order to truly answer this question, as well
as clearly defining what essentiality is; with this comes a perspective. What is a perspective?
Are perspectives intrinsic, or are they formed as a knower pursues knowledge? In order to
answer this question with as many viewpoints, multiple examples from my life, as well as from
other philosophers and authors sides will be examined. This will allow for a more holistic
judgement of the subject matter, and allow for the most personal (yet bias free) approach towards
an answer.
First we will take a look at what entails a pursuit of knowledge. The knower will remain
free of outside effects on his acquiring of knowledge, and is moving towards an intellectual goal
on his own accord. Maintaining these conditions, the action of the knower (or simply the thought
that the knower had) is the pursuit. However, the scenario that the majority of knowers are
familiar with generally involve scenarios that do not fit under this condition: it is almost a perfect
world, and it is almost inevitable to not be effected (personally, as a knower) by the knowledge
communities that we are a part of. The whole point of a knowledge community is to effect a
knower, whether directly or indirectly. This allows a knower to build a foundation to understand
the world around him through justified true beliefs, which originate from claims.

The next part of the question itself that will be discussed is essentiality. What defines it?
Oftentimes, essentiality is completely subjective. To one knower, being part of a religious or faith
driven community may be an essential part of their lives. To someone like myself- the natural
sciences or relying on ethics may be of more importance. Sometimes essentiality is crystal clear,
such as when a knower desires to learn an instrument. In order to get to that particular knowledge
goal, the knower must take music lessons. Without the knower taking an action (the pursuit) to
take lessons, the knower will never be able to become a musician. This condition that has been
placed, the fact that it is impossible to acquire new knowledge, is essentiality.
Next a perspective must be clearly defined, as its definition can be often times confused
with a pursuit. A perspective is a knowers outlook on a certain piece of knowledge, it is as
simple as that. In my life, I have multiple perspectives on multiple parts of my life. When
looking at the Indian Pakistani rivalry that has defined an age of tense relations in geopolitical
diplomacy, the knowledge community I am a part of clearly holds certain outlooks. My
perspective on this is trying to be as neutral as possible trying to hold back any sense of bigotry.
Some peoples perspectives will naturally be the opposite of mine.
We must also discuss the difference between the active and passive acquiry of
knowledge. I have learned my mother tongue of Marathi passively: I gained the knowledge
through repetitive interaction through my parents. When learning grammar in school for Spanish,
I am actively interacting and learning the rules of what to say. I dont sit in class hoping to learn
things! Knowledge can be actively and passively pursued, and in many ways this pursuit can lead
to diversity on perspective. Therefore, it is also now clear that perspective only occurs when
knowledge is pursued (actively or passively).

Now that all of the variables have been clearly defined, the proof of my thesis can be
more directly approached. The first clear example is with the French philosopher Albert Camus,
a famed existentialist who was at the forefront of Existential Absurdism, a more specific form of
Sartres orthodoxy. Camus developed his own perspective after his life experiences and after
reading several of Jean Paul Sartres views (an active pursuit). He realized that they were too
grounded in the beliefs of the knower themselves. Sartre never addressed (at least to the extent
that Camus would) of the environment and nature around him, and how difficult it is to bend
nature to ones will (in order to understand it). Camus, instead, pursued this unique outlook, and
created his perspective. Camus knew the perspective that he would want to approach, and needed
to gain the knowledge by continuing to actively pursue it. He worked the process backwards in
order to attain proof for his belief (or his perspective). This is a clear example showing the
reversibility of the positions of a perspective and a pursuit, as they have switched positions from
the norm. Nevertheless, they retain the same essentiality to each other. A perspective cannot
and never will exist without a pursuit. Both of them create each other, and both of them must be
approached through each other.
Music is very important in my life; and I personally believe that there is no one correct
way to compose music. I believe that sound is sound, and there is beauty in all of it, no matter
how unpleasant it may sound to the ear. This the perspective I have on the issue, and the way I
have actively pursued it is through the acknowledgement of the history of music, and how it has
very clearly evolved in this way. Music originated simply from one observing a pattern in noise,
and then trying to replicate it. As the times grew more turbulent, people wanted to go back to the
time in which sound was the most entropic, and the most random. This led to the origin of super
modernist music which was completely absurd and disgusting to the normal ear, but it was still

beautiful in its own way. My pursuit, now having gained this knowledge, has been satisfied. This
not only shows the essentiality of a perspective to a pursuit, but shows that knowledge can be
obtained in this manner as well.
Fyodor Dostoyevsky is an acclaimed Russian author known for his gritty existential
themes in his writings, albeit not as directly as Camus. He lived in a time of turmoil in Russia,
where the Czar ferociously and cruelly worked against the opposition. Being a writer who wrote
against this rule, he was thrown into prisons and work camps. His perspective on this situation
was already negative. As he tried to gain more knowledge about the world around him, and his
significance in the world, he combined what he learned from his environment to make a
perspective. This perspective was essential to develop the paradigm of knowledge that he lived
through, and wrote about. This is an example of how a perspective leads to the gaining of
knowledge, and the creation of a paradigm which is valued due to the bias that the perspective
produces.
Overall, it is clear that a perspective is essential on the pursuit of knowledge in all
situations. The perspective can lead to the creation of a pursuit, or vice versa. This shows that
although they are clearly essential to each other, their positions and roles do not matter as much
as the ramification of the knowledge gained.
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