Knowledge is Power
This is a remark of Lord Bacon, one of the fathers of modern scientific philosophy about knowledge for its own sake. It is said that philosophy bakes no bread. Nevertheless, it increases our awareness of the world, the purpose of creation, man’s relation to the Creator, his destiny, and so on. Science is also an attempt to understand the world we live in through observation, verification, and formulation of rules and laws regarding the physical world. It aims at understanding the secrets of nature. This understanding of the working of nature has given us tremendous power which we are utilizing for making our lives more painless and more comfortable. It has also given us the most dangerous and destructive weapons which threaten to destroy the entire civilization. The scientific advancement of the last three hundred years is a thrilling story of increased knowledge about nature and man. With the increase of knowledge has come power. Man has known the secrets of nature and he has become and is trying to become, the master of nature. Now man is trying not only to know but also to use this knowledge for changing the destiny of man. He is using this knowledge for removing human suffering for conquering death and disease and for reaching new planets. Nowadays new branches of knowledge like the internet, biotechnology etc. are becoming more powerful in changing man’s life and controlling his behavior. In ancient times, priests kept knowledge from the common people because it gave them power over their lives. In modern times, atomic knowledge is kept a closely guarded secret because it gives power to the rulers to control the destiny of the ruled.
