One can decide that the principal role of knowledge is as an indispensable element in the functioning of society, and act in accordance with that decision, only if one has already decided that society is a giant machine
Jean-Francois LyotardRead
If we wish to discuss knowledge in the most highly developed contemporary society, we must answer the preliminary question of what methodological representation to apply to that society
Interpretation
What this quote means
Understanding knowledge requires a clear methodology specific to modern society.
Jean-Francois Lyotard emphasizes that to engage in meaningful discussions about knowledge in today's complex and advanced society, it is crucial to first establish the appropriate methods of representation. This highlights the importance of context and framework in shaping our understanding of knowledge and its implications in contemporary life.
Themes
KnowledgeMethodologySocietyRepresentationPhilosophy
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a philosophy class discussing the nature of knowledge.
More from Jean-Francois Lyotard
All quotes βKnowledge is and will be produced in order to be sold, it is and will be consumed in order to be valorised in a new production: in both cases, the goal is exchange
Jean-Francois LyotardRead
Similar quotes
The problem is one of opposition between subjective and objective points of view. There is a tendency to seek an objective account of everything before admitting its reality. But often what appears to a more subjective point of view cannot be accounted for in this way. So either the objective conception of the world is incomplete, or the subjective involves illusions that should be rejected.
Thomas NagelRead
The whole universe is composed of name and form. Whatever we see is either a compound of name and form, or simply name with form which is a mental image.
Swami VivekanandaRead
One is always at home in one's past.
Vladimir NabokovRead
Look at me. I was a warrior on this land where the sun rises, now I come from where the sun sets. Whose voice was first surrounded on this land - the red people with bows and arrows. The Great Father says he is good and kind to us. I can't see it.
Red CloudRead
In the developed world, hundreds of millions of us now face the bizarre problem of surfeit. Yet our brains, instincts, and socialized behavior are still geared to an environment of lack. The result? Overwhelm - on an unprecedented scale.
Martha BeckRead
Any woman who has a great deal to offer the world is in trouble. And if she's a black woman, seh's in deep trouble.
Hazel ScottRead