Does acquiring knowledge destroy

our sense of wonder

Looking at the statement ‘Does acquiring knowledge destroy our sense of wonder?’ can be
agreed to a certain extent. In this context, Wonder is an emotion characterised by a sense of
amazement and curiosity. It arises when we encounter something that challenges our
understanding and sparks our imagination. Sense of Wonder is how people view different
aspects. It is the feeling of wonder that motivates people to investigate and look for answers
outside of their daily lives. Whereas Knowledge can be either a blessing or a curse, although
it can help us understand mysteries that once filled us with wonder, it also has the ability to
acknowledge the complexity of the world and even though it is important to acquire
knowledge which provides us with various explanations and understanding of things
happening around us, it can also lead to a loss of wonder as mystery and awe-inspiring
aspects of phenomena are replaced by rational explanations. The areas of knowledge that I
have chosen to support this question are History and Natural Sciences. This essay will be
discussing how the two areas of knowledge ‘History and Natural Science’ support this
statement to a certain extent.

History

The first area of knowledge that will be discussed is History. Knowledge of History gives
valuable insights into past historical events or cultural events. Learning about the vastness of
human history, the rise and fall of civilizations and its complexities can evoke a sense of awe
and wonder which connect us to the past. The more we gain knowledge about history, the
more we adapt to its narratives, events, and cultural contexts. This further leads to an
agreement of the historical facts that occured in the past which destroys our sense of wonder.
However the more knowledge we acquire on the historical contexts, the more complex these
stories would become as compared to how they seem to be in the first place.

The complexity of acquiring historical knowledge would further evoke a more pleasant
feeling of amazement thereby increasing one’s own sense of wonder. For example, gaining
knowledge about the causes behind World War II involves understanding various factors
such as political, social and economic factors affected by WWII. World War II started in
1939 by a German dictatorship called Adolf Hitler. Since Germany was the most powerful
country due to its efficient military force during Hitler’s times, Hitler and his Nazis intended
to rule over the entire world which caused many countries like Great Britain, France and
Japan to battle against the German forces. WWII ended in 1945 when Germany lost the War
against their oppressing countries and this has caused countries like Poland that were ruled by
Hitler to get their independence after World War II. Currently when individuals gained
historical knowledge about World War II, some do wonder what would have happened if
Adolf Hitler and his Nazis ended up becoming victorious during the time of war and this
further raises an individual's sense of wonder as their wonders have further led them to
inquire beyond historical facts hence creating more a complex subjectivity.

On the contrary, acquiring historical knowledge enables individuals to appreciate how the
past events resonate in contemporary society. Once we educate ourselves about the past
events that have ever occured, it begins to evoke one’s admiration for resilience in the face of
adversity or innovation amid chaos. Hence even though the historical narratives would lose
their initial appearance while analysed very closely, it still brings in a deeper image for
humanity’s journey through time.

Natural Science

Another area of knowledge that sides with the statement is Natural Science. Natural Science
proves cognitive facts through physical experiments and gives logical reasoning to why
certain knowledge is real, which can therefore destroy our sense of wonder as the knowledge
that was acquired is already approved by testing experiments and observing whether this
knowledge is true or false. When it comes to Natural Science, acquiring knowledge would
end up reducing our sense of wonder since we have scientifically gained knowledge about
certain facts. For example, the appearance of a shiny rainbow evokes a sense of magic and
beauty, but once we understand about the light refraction and the physics behind rainbows,
our initial sense of wonder ends up losing its meaning hence destroying an individual's sense
of wonder once the knowledge behind rainbows is acquired.

Understanding the knowledge of the scientific principles behind certain facts that are
scientifically proven through experiments can lead to different forms of awe. Learning the
scientific knowledge behind light and rainbow colours can further reveal a complex interplay
that can be just as wondrous as the phenomenon itself, therefore as individuals continue to
dig deeper into certain aspects of scientific knowledge, more mysteries that would raise one’s
sense of wonder will emerge.

For example looking at Darwin theory of evolution, understanding the process of natural
selection would enable people to gain knowledge about how different species evolve over
time. But at the same time, it raises significant issues regarding extinction, adaptation and
genetic diversity. This further portrays the interaction between knowledge and wonder and
how they show that scientific research does not only satisfy curiosity but also enhances our
understanding of its complexity.