What is Knowledge?

In this class, we have defined rhetoric as “a way of making knowledge in the world,” but just what exactly is knowledge? And how is it made?

From my understanding, knowledge is simply what you know to be true. Knowledge is acquired through life’s experiences.

Plato described knowledge as being absolute, perfect, infinite, and transcendent. He believed that rather than learning new things (making new knowledge), we are simply remembering knowledge. Rather than subscribing to the notion that Knowledge is transcendent, if we simply hold on to the idea that knowledge is infinite and already defined in the universe, then knowledge cannot be made, only discovered. Which raises another question – can knowledge be made?

From Barthes' "The Death of the Author," the idea was put forth that the knowledge of a text is remade for each reader. I could argue, however, that the varying perception from reader to reader is not new knowledge, but different knowledges. What is absolutely true - the infinite, perfect, idealized knowledge – is what knowledge actually is. But for each person, whom are individually not realistically capable of this perfect knowledge, have their own knowledges (or knowledgies?).

Which brings me to another question: Is knowledge dependent on human existence? If we were all to suddenly disappear would knowledge exist?  Would it matter?

If there was intelligent life on a planet for some time out somewhere in space that existed long enough to record their own existence, but that planet was consumed by a black hole, destroying all evidence of them being there, did they matter? What does it mean to matter? Does anything matter?

If there was no conscious life to observe and validate the existence of the universe, would it exist? Can the universe exist without life? It would be pretty boring without it…