Aldous Huxley’s Knowledge And 

Understanding
Introduction

Difference between knowledge and Understanding

Huxley makes a distinction between knowledge and understanding in a

philosophical way. According to him, knowledge develops when we apply
our new experiences into realm of concepts of our old experiences. This
interactive nature of experience which strikes with our already acquired
experiences triggers knowledge and enhances our vision and concepts. So
knowledge is acquired in terms of concepts and is passed through symbols
and words. Understanding is contrasted with knowledge in that it never
comes in concepts it cannot be passed on to the other people because it is
caused by immediate experience; however, understanding later develops
into knowledge.  The two are different from each other. Understanding is
never inherited or learnt by hard work. It is acquired automatically while
knowledge is based on our past experiences. It is mistake to think that
knowledge is a part of understanding or the two are interchangeable. 
Knowledge may be correct or incorrect or mere meaningless.

Impacts of Knowledge
If knowledge based on mere metaphysical doctrines, and its metaphysical believers
seriously act upon it and modify their behaviors accordingly, this false knowledge
will lead to devastating effects. This accounts for all the sufferings and grotesque and
tragic happenings in the history of man. Knowledge in all forms; correct, incorrect is
dirt and rubbish.
Man has to pay the price for living on this planet whose inhabitants suffer from
countless problems and deadly ills. Not all problems of mankind can be solved; but
those arising from stupidity, foolishness, malice, idealism and delusions can be
solved if men resolve to solve them with good sense. These are intellectual and
psychological evils caused by false knowledge and can be reconciled. We should not
undergo the overvaluation of words; as this leads to religious dogmatic attitude.
Other problem is over simplification or generalization branding every thing in the
(ALL) or (EVERY) formula and over abstraction which means the rejection or
negation or individuals and speaking of them collectively. Such dogmas as all infidels
are dammed or all heretics are inspired by evil should be rejected. So dogmatic or
ideological concept of knowledge is intellectually devastating.
Scientific Knowledge
Knowledge in the form of concepts expressed through words is to be highly valued in
our modern age. For the establishment of an advanced society, highly trained
scientists and engineers are important. For national survival, specialized knowledge
has become a necessity. In some countries such as America, scientific knowledge has
been done away with, but it has not led an increase in understanding any way. Hard
work is important for sound knowledge; although some educationists think that
children should not be required to work very hard.
Dissemination of correct knowledge is one of the prime objectives of education. But
education should also teach the art of living – self realization and social adjustment.
Thus applied knowledge is the key to success in life. Huxley doesn’t support classical
education because he thinks that the classical education teachers us not what to do,
but what not to do. It is not only one or the other form which is compulsory, but a
combination of conceptual clarity, objectivity, subjectivity, micro-domain of personal
consciousness and macro-domain of mysterious consciousness which will make an
educational program perfect.
Language and Education
Although, it is paradoxical, but language is important as the medium of education
and training; but it can also be dangerous in education. Dissemination of past
experience is a necessity, but it is also a great hurdle in the promotion of education.
Our human existence is due to language and we become human beings when we get
accumulated conceptualized knowledge. Man learns consciously which is an
impossible to an animal. Our emotions and memories are a great obstacle in learning
and understanding so we should arise above them. If we want to develop
understanding, we must get rid of our culture, language and emotionally charged
memories which Wordsworth speaks of and learn to contradict and analyze. We
should turn to practical means which may lead from knowledge to understanding. So
classical dictum ‘know thyself’ is important because if you know yourself, you will
know your environment. Thus you will understand that you are a person related to
the world and everything therein in many fold ways. 

Summary
Knowledge is defined as a person’s range of information or his awareness
gained by experience while understanding is defined as a person’s
perception or judgment of a situation. We acquire knowledge when we fit
our new experience into the system of concepts or notions based on our old
experience. Metaphysical doctrines are the bases of pseudo-knowledge
because they cannot be verified in our every day, routine and ordinary
experiences. Thus knowledge gained from metaphysics is not the genuine
knowledge. Knowledge is as common as dirt and understanding is as rare
as emerald. Overvaluation of words has always given rise to dogmatic,
extremist and fanatic tendencies and dogmas. So conceptualized knowledge
is of great value in pragmatic life today and it is important for the national
survival.
Know they self is based on the fact that I don’t invent my thoughts; I just
find them.

Aldous Huxley’s The Education Of An Amphibian

 Introduction
Man and his position
Huxley contends that man is a five or six amphibians rolled into one. Man who is
biologically called Homo Sapiens explores the realms of his mind on this earth and
also infesting it at the same time. So man is multi amphibian whose very nature is
indicative of many troubles for him and the others around him. So we human beings
are the most obedient and independent creature on the earth. Man is not homo
sapiens only, he is also homo loquax because he possess the gift of speech. If he is
not homo loquax then he like the Yahoo of Gulliver’s Travels.
Language and man
So the importance of language for man cannot be underestimated.  It is the language
which raised man from his brute status to civilized one. So language gave birth to
human civilization. Language itself is a superb work of genius created by man.
Whatever human culture or society may be, language is central to their existence. It
is a medium through which we communicate and if this link is broken, we will again
turn to brutes because language is the symbol of civilization. This should not lead us
to the fact that language is always positive in society. Like every thing else, it has its
pros and cons. Our various principles or dogmas are communicated through
language so language is used destructively. The misuse of language has turned people
into fanatics as language is largely used for propaganda.  Bartlett, in this case, has
carried various experiments to see the effect of language on memory. He came to the
conclusion that language stamps on our memory and we cannot come out of our
conventional or stereotyped image of a being. So language is the foundation stone of
memory. Our infancy is the age of non-verbal communication so none of us can be
recalled what we did as a child, but we can recall almost everything ever since we
began to speak a language.
Theorising and practicum
Huxley believes that too much theorizing is fatal to human soul. It corrupts it and
deforms it. Too many lectures or sermons deaden our every day routine life because
theorizing entails no spiritual development. But absence of theory (of medicine, law,
religions or any other science) will again turn us into Yahoos. So we need a different
approach. We live in the world of ideas and practice. These are two different worlds.
Unless we promote education in both these fields, we will be verbal and lead to
disaster.
Education of man
Modern educationists promote non-verbal aspect of human education more than
they emphasise the verbal side.  Now, we have instrumental theory of education
which is based on learning through experience. Kinesthetic sense is important in
learning by doing because we form certain habits by doing something if this is good,
learning is good, if the habit or repetition is bad, learning is bound to have bad effect,
though some scholars don’t differentiate between good and bad doing. So learning is
psycho-physical activity.  Modern classroom must provide means to get visual
perception of the student sound. We should use certain training devices to make the
vision strong and healthy. In this way, spiritual insight is important in non-verbal
education. The art of spiritual insight has been defined by Dr. Suzuki as ‘becoming
conscious of the unconscious’.
Conclusion
The basic theme of the essay is that education should be sound so that we can get rid
of our misguided perceptions, unsound feelings, unrealistic thinking and bad habits.
Man is doer and speaker so he must behave well and this is the key to avoid offensive
behavior with others.

Summary of the Essay

 What is an amphibian?

Amphibian is an animal with moist, hairless skin through which water can pass in
and out. Nearly all amphibians live the first part of their lives in water and the second
part on land—a double life reflected in the name amphibian, which comes from the
Greek words amphi, meaning “both,” and bios, meaning “life.” Amphibians were the
first animals with backbones to adapt to life on land. They are the ancestors of
reptiles, which in turn gave rise to mammals and birds.
Scientists recognize more than 4,000 species of amphibians, all of which are
members of one of three main groups: frogs and toads, salamanders, or caecilians.
Frogs and toads are the most abundant of all amphibians, numbering more than
3,500 species. Frogs have smooth skin and long limbs. Toads, in contrast, have warty
skin and short limbs.
There are about 360 known species in the salamander group, which also includes
newts and mud puppies. Members of this group have long, slender bodies ending in
tails. Some salamanders live entirely on land, whereas others never leave the water,
and still others spend some time in the water and some on land. Caecilians, with
about 160 species, are the rarest of amphibians. They have no limbs and look much
like earthworms. Most live underground and spend their time burrowing in the soil,
but a few are aquatic.
Amphibian Nature of Man
According to Huxley man is as many amphibians rolled into one. Although man lives
on the land and never in the water yet his nature is like an amphibian, not
zoologically, but symbolically because man is an amalgam of theory and practice, fact
and fiction, reality and illusion which as a result he lives a double life. His nature is
multifaceted. He explores his surroundings, remains self-conscious and evolves.
Because man lives in many different worlds and visions of mind, he is prone to many
different errors and needs to be educated.
Man is not biologically called Amphibian; he is Homo Sapiens (the intelligent man,
having the faculty of speech, reason and intellect), but his not only Homo Sapiens, he
is also Homo Faber i.e. he is the maker of things, he can fabricate tools and man is
also Homo Loquax i.e. he can talk and communicate. Without this gift of speech,
man is nothing but a Yahoo.
The Faculty of Speech in Man
It is due to the faculty of speech and language that man has raised himself
from status of brute to the civilized. The total human development, the
religious preaching and the formation of political and social laws all were
created due to language. The total body of literature written by great men of
knowledge is also due to language. Language has made man wise from
idiot. Language is a fact we cannot ignore in the present times. Since the
significance of language is so intact we must use it carefully. Language if
misused can bring troubles for man, turn him into fanatics, savage and
brute species and the misuse of language make us neglect our own faults.
The medical and psychological impacts of language have been ascertained
by the scientists. So language should be used carefully, it may cause
destruction for man because words are carrier of knowledge which, if
imparted negatively, will drastically change the world.