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Knowledge via Synthesis
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Knowledge via Synthesis

Rajesh Kasturirangan's avatar
Rajesh Kasturirangan
Nov 20, 2011

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Knowledge via Synthesis
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Analysis is for control freaks: they want to divide the world into constituent bits and make sure that each bit does exactly what we want it to do. It is also meant to end in a final resolution to a problem; having divided a problem into its most atomic constituents, the analyst wants to end with a final theory with no room for error or uncertainty. Analysis is a closed form solution for a closed world.

The synthesist is inherently a softer person; he is happy with enough knowledge to take the next step, probe the world and then loop back to correct if necessary. It is inherently organic, uncertain knowledge. As embodied, finite beings, synthesis is a better way of knowing than the God’s eye view that forms the tacit (and Monotheistic) view of modern science.


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Planetary Thought: How our lives are intertwined with the lives of other beings on this planet, our only home.

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The Form of the World
links for this week's essay
Jun 12, 2019 â€¢ 
Rajesh Kasturirangan
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Being Human in the Age of AI 11
Zooming in after Zooming out
May 28, 2024 â€¢ 
Rajesh Kasturirangan
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Planetary Animals
A slow restart
Aug 1, 2022 â€¢ 
Rajesh Kasturirangan
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