Delivering Studies

Delivering Studies

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        Throughout history, people always had perspectives toward studies and one who represents one of those perspectives is Francis Bacon. Following Francis Bacon’s ideas, Samuel Johnson also delineated his opinion toward studies by extending Francis Bacon’s ideas and moreover, explained the meaning of sharing studies through conversation and composition. In his various ideas, ‘delivering studies’ was a new idea that was emphasized. “It is difficult to imagine with what obstinacy truths which one mind perceives almost by intuition will be rejected by another; and how many artifices must be practiced to procure admission for the most evident propositions into understandings frighted by their novelty, or hardened against them by accidental prejudice; it can scarcely be conceived how frequently in these extemporaneous controversies the dull will be subtle, and the acute absurd; how often stupidity will elude the force of argument, by involving itself in its own gloom; and mistaken ingenuity will weave artful fallacies, which reason can scarcely find means to disentangle.”

Even if it is a true statement, it can be frozen off by other men by their own bigotry. Someone brings in knowledge from the innate ability or truth from intuition. But this individual misses the ability to protect and defend the true statement. Then the others will reject the idea since it is inefficiently delivered by lacking rhetorical devices. This insightful and smart mind is regarded as absurd and false. But he can’t refute because he lacks the power to defend. Many rhetorical devices are used to gain believes from others and persuade them to be the propositions. Since people are mostly frightened by the idea’s novelty or try to reject the idea by unintentional prejudices that are not known where they are from. It is difficult to imagine how often false ideas will evade the persuasiveness by involving itself to the darkness. Author is also criticizing 2 people: one who can’t deliver argument even if it’s a truth and one who has accidental prejudice and great speaking skills. Dull person who reject the truth has less knowledge, but the intelligent ability of delivering. He is regarded subtle and insightful. He makes the artful false argument that logic can hardly find ways to resolve. But, acute person has high knowledge and lacking ability to speak his knowledge. He is regarded absurd. He lacks skill to protect and defend his own ideas.  

This concept is also well shown in modern society. Politicians or CEOs often deliberately deliver false information to citizens. Especially politicians, during the elections, propose arguments that could lead victory to them, but actually that are not true. For example, if their candidate is giving policy of medical aids for children, they could exaggerate the need of the aids. On the contrary, if other side’s candidate claims policy about investment toward the natural environment in efficient ways, they will censure opponents by claiming false arguments of negative aspects of investments. They would use various rhetorical devices like ethos, logos, and pathos. Most citizens are persuaded by those instruments and they will believe as if those false ideas are true. CEOs also effectively use those specific speaking skills to advertise their new product discovered by new research.

Overall idea or concept of Samuel Johnson about delivering knowledge is agreeable. It is definitely true that it is essential to properly deliver knowledge we have discovered in order to benefit the society and make the knowledge useful. Knowledge not used by our society is useless and meaningless. It is like a utensil or equipments not used for a long time by being stuck in an old closet. However, there is inappropriate logic in his argument, especially not fitting in the modern society. The part mentioned “dull will be subtle, and the acute absurd” can’t easily happen in our current status quo. The main reason for this is because information exchange is very faster compared to the past. Thus, if someone with false information wins over others with their brilliant speaking skills, it will be revealed later until at least a week. Citizens are also not that naïve to believe something suspicious just by listening to their words. They currently have abundant information possessing so they will easily find contradictions or falseness in those arguments. Also in the situation when an insightful person lacks the ability to convey knowledge he possess, these could be resolved through assistant who covers presentation areas. Or that person could learn skills or devices used in conveying ideas. Thus, these inaptness should be resolved through correction of certain parts that don’t fit our society.