Question 232, what is knowledge: definition, classification, identification
Definition of knowledge
A good knowledge management approach begins with understanding the meaning of the term “knowledge”。
From a philosophical perspective, the title “knowledge” in china's encyclopedia is expressed as follows: “knowledge, in terms of what it reflects, is a reflection of the attributes and links of objective things and a subjective image of the world in the human mind. In terms of its form of reflection, it is sometimes expressed as the subject's sensory perception or appearance of the matter, as a sensory knowledge, as is sometimes the concept or pattern of the matter, as a rational knowledge. This definition shows that:
(1) knowledge is the day after tomorrow. It is the result of an awareness of objective realities and of the unity of the main object. For example, the fruit of the tree can be eaten and its leaves used to treat cough. This is knowledge, the result of an understanding of the objective thing, the tree。
(2) knowledge reflects the attributes, linkages and relationships of things. Properties of things: roses are red, this is superficial, pens are writing tools, this is the essence. The link between things: for example, a rainbow after a rainstorm, a link between rain and a rainbow in the sky; for example, a lightning thunder, a link between a flash and a thunderstorm. Relationships between things: e. G. S (range) = v (speed)*t (time) this formula indicates a computational relationship between distance, speed, time。
(3) knowledge is subjective. Knowledge reflects what is objective, because it originates from the outside world, while knowledge reflects forms that are subjective and reflect the characteristics and links of things in the human mind. This suggests that there is the right knowledge, that is, scientific knowledge; there is also the wrong knowledge, as ancients see it as a circle。
Because knowledge is a rich and extensive concept. The definition of knowledge remains a controversial issue in the area of philosophy, from ancient to modern times, in which many thinkers have expressed their views, and there is still no uniform and precise definition。
A classic definition came from plato: he noted that a statement could be described as a statement that knowledge had to meet three conditions, that it must have been proven, right, and that people believed that it was true. This is also the criterion for the distinction between science and non-science。
Classification of knowledge
(1) from a philosophical perspective, knowledge can be divided into sensory knowledge (specific knowledge) and rational knowledge (in abstract knowledge)。
Sensual knowledge: reflects the external characteristics and external connections of things, changing from the sunrise, the full moon, the four seasons of spring, summer, autumn and winter, reflecting the changing season of the sun and the season; and, like the market for vegetables, the morning vegetables are more expensive and the evening vegetables are cheaper, reflecting the external link between vegetable prices and time。
Reasonable knowledge: reflecting the nature and intrinsic links of things, such as sunrise and sunset, the full moon is the result of changes in the sun, the earth, the moon movement; changes in vegetable prices are regulated by values. These knowledges reveal the underlying causes and linkages of the movement of things。
(2) from the point of view of the source of knowledge, knowledge can be divided into direct and indirect knowledge。
Direct knowledge refers to the personal participation of individuals in lessons learned from practice, and also to actual knowledge; indirect knowledge is the experience that individuals gain from others, most importantly in books. Both direct and indirect knowledge include both sensory and rational understanding, as well as correct and erroneous。
In terms of individual capabilities, it is important to learn from the knowledge accumulated by others or by previous generations and to further validate and refine, enrich and develop in practical applications, given the limitations of life, energy and practice that make it impossible and unnecessary for a person to acquire knowledge in practice。
(3) one of the most important concepts in the current knowledge literature is hidden and visible knowledge. This was proposed by polani in his book the implicit dimension, where he noted that “we know more than we can say”。
According to poland, there are two types of human knowledge. Usually described as knowledge, i. E. Expressed in written text, chart and mathematical formulae. And the unexpressed knowledge, like what we have in doing something, is another knowledge. He referred to the former as explicit knowledge and the latter as tacit knowledge。
According to the polish understanding, explicit knowledge is knowledge that is capable of being presented in its entirety by humans in a certain type of coding system (predominantly language, including formulae, charts, braille, sign language, flag language, etc.). Invisible knowledge, as opposed to explicit knowledge, refers to knowledge that we know but cannot speak for, namely, knowledge that is highly personal and difficult to format, subjective understanding, intuition and premonition。
(4) the united nations organisation for economic co-operation and development (oecd) in its knowledge-based economic report divides knowledge into four broad categories:
The first two types of knowledge are explicit, while the second two are implicit。
3. Analysis of knowledge concepts
They are often confused because of the close correlation between the concepts of data, information, knowledge and wisdom. It is important for us to describe knowledge that is not precisely defined by the academic community through a comparative analysis of them. Fortunately, in practical application, we also need not dwell on precise definitions of knowledge at the academic level。
In from data to wisdom, american managementist russell ekov divides data into data, information, knowledge, intelligence by processing level, known as the dkkw system, a theoretical system for data, information, knowledge and intellectual evolution, giving different characteristics to each level, as shown in figure 16-1. Raw observations and measurements have been obtained; the relationship between analyses of data has been informed; the application of information in action has generated knowledge; and wisdom has taken care of the future, which has implied and delayed impacts。
(1) data. Data are obtained through raw observations and measurements, and are at the bottom of the dkkw system, a source of information, knowledge and wisdom. The data are the most primitive material, and without a processed interpretation and without answers to a particular question, there is no point。
Data are defined in computer terms as symbols that record and identify objective events, physical symbols that record the nature, state and interrelationships of objective things, or a combination of these physical symbols. It is an identifiable, abstract symbol。
(2) information. According to the dkkw system, the relevant content or explanation is added to the data, i. E. Processed into logical data, i. E. Information, information = data + processing. Information can answer simple questions, such as: who? What? Where? When? Why? Information means having an audience and an end。
Information is also defined in a variety of ways, based on research findings. The scientific concept of information can be summarized as follows: information is a reflection of the state of movement and change of things in an objective world, a sign of the interconnection and interaction between objective things and an expression of the substance of the movement and change of objective things。
(3) knowledge. In a particular context or context, knowledge is created by creating meaningful links between data and information, information and information. It embodies the essence, principles and experience of information. In addition, knowledge based on reasoning and analysis can generate new knowledge. Under the dikw system, knowledge is above information and has the ability to guide action. Knowledge is what it knows, why, how and who it is。
Knowledge can be defined as an abstract, logical and valuable collection of information that is compared, summarized and evolved in the understanding of data information。
(4) wisdom. Wisdom is the highest level of the dkkw system, and we can use wisdom to answer questions about why and when。
Wisdom is the ability of people to make decisions based on an understanding of the information knowledge that exists, and it is the expression of the right action using information knowledge. Wisdom has characteristics that point to the future by understanding the knowledge of the past。
The following examples illustrate the hierarchical relationship between data, information, knowledge and wisdom:
