George Orwell's The Burden Of Knowledge
It has come to my own understanding that saying “I believe it to be true” does not inherently mean that something is actually the truth. It is possible that we believe things not because they are true but because of some other psychological or philosophical influence. Many writers and philosophers have acknowledged and elaborated on theories about the origin and development of beliefs and belief systems, but George Orwell is definitely one of the most prominent. In his article titled “The Burden of Knowledge,” Orwell attributes the origin and development of beliefs to the general gullibility of a given era’s people. Beliefs of my own that I will take into consideration and analyze using Orwell’s notion include ultraviolet radiation and the
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Before the Declaration of Independence was written, there was some form of morality among people, but as soon as the Declaration was written, the specific morals that all people should strive to uphold were outlined and became the mantra that we still recite to this day. The constant repetition and proclamation of this phrase in our education and our entertainment (particularly film and literature) keep us constantly reminded of our own moral goals as Americans. This, I think, can also be related to Orwell’s theories. As Orwell is discussing the flat-versus-round Earth theories, he says “[He or she] merely swallows this theory because there is something about it that appeals to the twentieth century mentality” (Orwell 2016). I think something similar is happening with the life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness clause of the Declaration of …show more content…
There are definitely other mechanisms that influence the origin and development of personal beliefs. The two examples that I have presented can easily be broken down and analyzed using George Orwell’s theory. Any belief that can be thought of can be analyzed using this very same method. As informed individuals, we need to consider these sorts of things before we accept anything as fact. Through careful analysis of the truth of an individual belief, we can trim down on a lot of our false beliefs and begin to find enlightenment and
Before the Declaration of Independence was written, there was some form of morality among people, but as soon as the Declaration was written, the specific morals that all people should strive to uphold were outlined and became the mantra that we still recite to this day. The constant repetition and proclamation of this phrase in our education and our entertainment (particularly film and literature) keep us constantly reminded of our own moral goals as Americans. This, I think, can also be related to Orwell’s theories. As Orwell is discussing the flat-versus-round Earth theories, he says “[He or she] merely swallows this theory because there is something about it that appeals to the twentieth century mentality” (Orwell 2016). I think something similar is happening with the life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness clause of the Declaration of …show more content…
There are definitely other mechanisms that influence the origin and development of personal beliefs. The two examples that I have presented can easily be broken down and analyzed using George Orwell’s theory. Any belief that can be thought of can be analyzed using this very same method. As informed individuals, we need to consider these sorts of things before we accept anything as fact. Through careful analysis of the truth of an individual belief, we can trim down on a lot of our false beliefs and begin to find enlightenment and