Can New Knowledge Change Established

Values or Beliefs?
(Knowledge and the Knower)

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Object 1: Graphic Novel “Camus” by Jose Lenzini
Albert Camus is a famous figure who is known for his theory on the meaning
of life, Absurdism. He came up from rural Algeria and became a world-renowned
author and a philosopher. This book follows a chronological order of the hardships he

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endured in his life and how he faced countless dilemmas that lead him to become a
philosopher.
Before I had ever done any research about any philosophies or philosophers, I
didn’t believe in the importance of this area of profession. To me, it was just a way to
waste time for lazy people in the modern world. However, after a hesitating for a bit, I
got this book. When I read it at first, I was still skeptical about how much a person
can value how to think about something that isn’t concrete in any way or form. Then I
did some research on the matters that were touched on in this novel and read a few
more books. Currently, Absurdism and areas of philosophy that touch on and express
thoughts about meaning of life or how to live life are at peak interest for me. Thanks
to this book, my understanding and interest in philosophy was ignited.
The knowledge I gained from this book was an insight to the life of a
philosopher. I learned how people get into this field and it was a key for me to unlock
why people get into this field. The many parts of Albert Camus’ life that lead him to
this path also lead me to many more theories on abstract matters and made me
accept this field. My past belief that philosophy was useless and unnecessary were
changed by the extensive research that reading this novel opened to me. In the
modern world, many people, especially ones who didn’t get to learn philosophy in
school, are ignorant. Novels that give information on complex matters in a digestible
way can change people’s opinions on those areas.

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Object 2: My old computer

This was the computer that I used for 4 years before retiring it. It had already
been used for 4 years by my father before me, so it was already getting old in the
scheme of technological development. I was just using it for light multitasking and
normal school tasks, so it didn’t create a problem to me at first.
However, as the years progressed, and the archaic hardware started to show
its age. Up to that point, my outlook on technology was simple, if someone says that
it is good, it is good. I didn’t know much about hardware or software, and I was
satisfied with the small knowledge I had on hand. However, these problems were so
frustrating to me that I wanted to fix them somehow. My first instinct was to search
the causes of the problems online, which then led to me searching for the meanings
of terminologies, the details of them and trying to make sense of the world of
engineering. Then I started to open up my computer and tinker with stuff to see what
sticks to the wall. Changed the memory, the storage, some of the connecting wires,
sensors and fans. Then I started installing lighter operating systems to see if it was
the bulky Windows that was slowing my computer down. After a certain point in this
process, I was so deep in the rabbit hole that I had no way of coming out, and I was,
and still am, glad where I am.

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 In this case, the new knowledge came from my curiosity in the subject, my
willingness to research and tinker with the hardware and software and my confidence
that I wouldn’t break anything. My hands-on experience with the computer led me
into a deep dive into the realm of technology and helped me see a different
perspective of the area. These personal experiences can change the beliefs of a
person on a subject matter.

Object 3: My record player

Music was always one of my main interests. For the longest time I enjoyed
listening to and playing music. This record player was a gift to me by my father. I was
satisfied with my cheap headphones and the online streaming quality, so I was pretty
indifferent to it at first.
After some time had passed and I was bored of the instrumental tracks, I got
my favorite album to play. This was the first time that I payed attention to the
difference between the online streaming and the record player. The difference was
much more noticeable and the satisfaction that I was getting was more when I
listened to it on the record player. On top of that, owning a physical copy of the music
made it feel more precious and as if it was a part of me. After listening to the album
until I got bored, I started to search online for communities to see what I should do
since I didn’t know anything about physical music keeping. What I learned from the
forums and posts were of immense importance to me since they made me realize
that by purchasing a physical record, I was both getting astronomically better sound

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quality and I was supporting the people in the line of work much more than if I was
listening to it online.
In this case, by chance, my father’s gift had led to me unlocking new
information that I had restrained myself from without knowing. The knowledge and
the shared feeling of being a part of the community that this record player brought
has been key to me changing my beliefs on spending such as this. Like me, more
people could change their beliefs on subjects if they were given time to discover it
themselves.

Word Count: 949

Bibliography
Photos were taken by me.