Does acquiring knowledge destroy our
sense of wonder?
ignorance is bliss we often say, suggesting that a lack of knowledge can
help us keep that sense of wonder and curiosity about the world. The
mysteries of the world such as the sunrise or the vastness of the sky can
inspire awe when we don’t fully understand them, however knowledge of
these things often replaces awe with explanation. For example, a person
who knows little about biology might see a flower as pure beauty, while a
botanist might reduce it to a structure of cells and processes. As the
famous physicist Richard Feynman once said "I have a friend who’s an
artist… He’ll hold up a flower and say, 'Look how beautiful it is,' and I
agree. Then he says, 'I, as a scientist, can’t see how beautiful this is too.'
I see much more about the flower than he sees… the cells, the
processes, the evolutionary reasons. It only adds to the excitement, the
mystery, the awe of it”. (forbes,2015)
Does gaining this knowledge then destroy our sense of wonder or does it
transform it into something deeper. This essay will discuss whether
acquiring knowledge destroys our sense of wonder. A sense of wonder is
not something that can be explained but as it is feeling that is very
subjective every human being has their understanding of it. Acquiring
knowledge can in this instance be defined as gaining more factual
information or reasoning to the things that we may or may not already
know. And “destroy” could be defined as to limit or diminish the previous
reasoning that we had of different things.
The ancient Polynesians were master navigators who used the stars,
ocean currents, and wind patterns to traverse vast oceans without
modern instruments. Their technique, known as wayfinding, involved
careful observation of the night sky, using a star compass to divide the
sky into quadrants. Polynesian navigators understood that when a star
rose at a specific point on the horizon, it would set in the opposite
quadrant, allowing them to maintain direction. They also relied on the
rhythmic motion of ocean swells, using their sense of balance to detect
changes in movement and determine their heading even in cloudy
weather.
(Trilogy,2022)
This intricate system was not merely a practical tool; it was deeply
intertwined with their spiritual beliefs. The stars were seen as guiding
ancestors, and navigation was regarded as a sacred practice. This
perspective maybe seen as a sense of wonder rooted in both skill and
spirituality. (Trilogy,2022) However, they didn’t actually know how the
stars worked in terms of the different processes that are involved in how
they form and die. They understood the movements and patterns of the
night sky, but not the deeper science, like the fact that stars are massive
balls of gas undergoing nuclear fusion. This limited knowledge may have
kept the stars mysterious and magical, leaving room for a deep sense of
wonder.
In contrast, modern celestial mechanics provides a scientific explanation
of stars, describing their formation in molecular clouds where
gravitational collapse leads to nuclear fusion, producing the energy that
fuels their light. Stars spend most of their lives as main sequence stars,
burning hydrogen into helium, and their eventual death depends on their
mass some fading into planetary nebulas, while others explode as
supernovae. (Nasa, 2024) When we explain stars as massive gas balls
held together by gravity, it might take away some of that magic for
people. For example, someone who believes in astrology might lose
interest if they found out stars aren’t really influencing their personality
but are just part of the universe’s physical processes. Learning how
things actually work can sometimes make them feel less special and, in
turn, diminish our sense of wonder. While this knowledge removes the
mystical element, it may introduce a different kind of wonder: the awe of
comprehending the vast complexity of the universe. Isn’t it amazing that
something happening billions of miles away can be understood in such
detail? The sheer complexity of stars how they form, burn, and die can
inspire awe in a way that mystery alone can’t. Richard Feynman argued
that understanding the science behind natural phenomena does not
diminish their beauty but rather enhances appreciation by revealing the
intricate details that remain hidden to the uninformed eye. However, one
could argue that the Polynesian perspective carries a depth that scientific
explanations lack a connection between human existence and the
cosmos that science alone does not provide. This raises the question:
which sense of wonder is more profound? The mystical reverence for the
stars or the intellectual awe inspired by understanding their mechanics.
The answer depends on whether wonder is seen as something
emotional and spiritual or as something tied to knowledge and discovery.
The story of King Leopold II and his rule over the Congo is a clear
example of how learning the truth about history for example can
completely change and sometimes destroy a nation’s sense of wonder.
History is not just about uncovering and explaining historical facts (like
historians do) It’s also functions to give individuals and collectives identity
and deep meaning historical narratives are used as basis for national
identity. This, arguably, can be called “sense of wonder”, the mystical
feeling of national identity, of being part of a historical narrative,
collective, tribe, project etc. However, this identity may be formed on
subjective and sometimes factually wrong grounds. Do historians then
“destroy our sense of wonder” when they tear down heroic myths? For a
long time, Leopold was celebrated in Belgium as a national hero. Statues
and monuments honoured him, and many people admired him for
helping to develop the country. This created a feeling of pride and
wonder about Belgium’s history, but it ignored the reality of what
happened in the Congo during colonial rule. Forced labour, violence, and
the suffering of millions under his rule.
In recent years, as more people have learned about these atrocities,
there’s been a growing push to confront the truth. “In 2001, a survey
showed 95% of Belgians thought colonisation was a good thing. In 2022
the survey was done again and the number dropped to 35%”.
(BBC,2023) For some Belgians, this could have felt like their sense of
wonder has been shattered. The statues that once symbolized pride now
remind people of injustice and exploitation. Many feel that removing
these statues erases their history and destroys a part of their national
identity. It’s hard to reconcile the idea of a "hero" with the knowledge of
such terrible actions, and this may have left some people feeling lost
about how to view their past.
But others believe this destruction of the old sense of wonder is
necessary. They argue that celebrating someone like Leopold, while
ignoring the harm he caused, may create a false sense of pride. By
confronting the truth, Belgium has a chance to build a new and more
honest sense of wonder one based on accountability and learning from
the past. Removing the statues doesn’t erase history; it acknowledges it
fully and allows people to move forward with a better understanding.
Still, gaining this new knowledge comes with a cost. For many, the
admiration and pride they once felt for their history may have now been
replaced with shame and discomfort. “Everyone is waking up from a
sleep, it's a reckoning with the past”(BBC,2020). The truth about Leopold
may have destroyed the sense of wonder that came from seeing him as
a hero, showing how new knowledge can completely change how people
feel about their identity and their past.
Ultimately, acquiring knowledge does not necessarily destroy a sense of
wonder, but it can transform it. The way wonder is experienced depends
on whether one values mystery or understanding. In the case of celestial
navigation, the Polynesian spiritual perspective and the scientific
explanation both inspire awe, but in different ways one through
mythology and connection to the divine, the other through complexity
and discovery. Similarly, historical awareness can challenge a simplistic
sense of national pride but replace it with a more meaningful, reflective
appreciation of history. Wonder, therefore, is not erased by knowledge; it
evolves, adapting to new perspectives and deeper understanding.
Bibliography
NASA. (2024, October 22). Stars - NASA science. NASA.
[Link]
Trilogy. (2022, March 22). Maps in the stars: How Polynesians used
Celestial Navigation to become the best explorers in the world. TRILOGY
CAPTAIN’S LOG. [Link]
polynesians-used-celestial-navigation-become-worlds-best-explorers
Moh, C. (2023, June 12). Belgium’s Africa Museum rethinks its
relationship with Congo. BBC News.
[Link]
Webster, G. R. & E. (2020, June 12). Leopold II: Belgium “wakes up” to
its bloody colonial past. BBC News. [Link]
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Orzel, C. (2015, September 9). Science can be as beautiful as art.
Forbes. [Link]
be-as-beautiful-as-art/