Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Wow. I like the "ever learning" part of that, but wonder about "never able to come to the knowledge of truth."
One of the most profound "truths" I've learned over the decades seems to be that the more I learn, the more there is TO learn.
Problems to be solved, individually and societally, present questions to answered.
So far, these ideas, concepts and notions are abstract.
I also wonder if never being able to come to the knowledge of the truth is also abstract... or if it becomes relational, or only understandable when reflected upon in the context of whatever problem humankind faces (or faces down) at any moment.
For example, society apparently has learned how to harness physical power to escape the gravity and atmosphere of Earth. In that context, "we" have come to fundamental knowledge of certain physical truths/realities.
So, in terms of the OP, you posed to us, is there some particular context or for a specific problem you want to come closer to knowledge of truth?
That could open up the entire realm of philosophy for endless discussion.
In terms of "throwing money at" particular problems to solve them, are you curious about any other strategies to solve any given problem(s) other than public or private investment in potential solutions?
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On THAT subject, a book that found me over the last week on that very problem, Big Bets: How Large-Scale Change Really Happens, does in fact explore questions of complexities a society encounters when it (or some people in it) want to solve potentially massive problems.
Money, in this context, is a proxy for resources. Relevant resources to solve problems include time, the effort of experts, manufacturing facilities, and so forth.
From the Goodreads blurb about the book and its author,
Rajiv J. Shah is no stranger to pulling off the impossible, from helping vaccinate 900 million children at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to a high-pressure race against the clock to stop the spread of Ebola. His secret? A big bets philosophy—the idea that seeking to solve problems rather than make incremental improvements can attract the unlikely partners with the power and know-how to achieve transformational change. Part career sweeping memoir, part inspirational playbook, Big Bets offers a master class in decision-making, leadership, and changing the world one bet at a time.
Shah animates his strategic insights with vivid behind-the-scenes stories, memorable conversations with household names that helped shape his approach to creating change, and his own personal growth as an Indian-American from an immigrant family looking for a way to belong. He distills his battle-tested strategies for creating change, arguing that big bets have a surprising advantage over cautious ones: a bold vision can attract support, collaborations, and fresh ideas from key players who might otherwise be resistant. Throughout the book, Shah traces his unlikely path to the Rockefeller Foundation across a changing world and through some of the most ambitious, dramatic global efforts to create a better world.
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Nevertheless, your question inspires me. It also has me recall Albert Einstein's reflection on imagination.
“Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.”
2 My son,if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, 2 turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding— 3 indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, 4 and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, 5 then you will understand the fear of theLord and find the knowledge of God.
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Rocky
Wow. I like the "ever learning" part of that, but wonder about "never able to come to the knowledge of truth."
One of the most profound "truths" I've learned over the decades seems to be that the more I learn, the more there is TO learn.
Problems to be solved, individually and societally, present questions to answered.
So far, these ideas, concepts and notions are abstract.
I also wonder if never being able to come to the knowledge of the truth is also abstract... or if it becomes relational, or only understandable when reflected upon in the context of whatever problem humankind faces (or faces down) at any moment.
For example, society apparently has learned how to harness physical power to escape the gravity and atmosphere of Earth. In that context, "we" have come to fundamental knowledge of certain physical truths/realities.
So, in terms of the OP, you posed to us, is there some particular context or for a specific problem you want to come closer to knowledge of truth?
That could open up the entire realm of philosophy for endless discussion.
In terms of "throwing money at" particular problems to solve them, are you curious about any other strategies to solve any given problem(s) other than public or private investment in potential solutions?
-----
On THAT subject, a book that found me over the last week on that very problem, Big Bets: How Large-Scale Change Really Happens, does in fact explore questions of complexities a society encounters when it (or some people in it) want to solve potentially massive problems.
Money, in this context, is a proxy for resources. Relevant resources to solve problems include time, the effort of experts, manufacturing facilities, and so forth.
From the Goodreads blurb about the book and its author,
Rajiv J. Shah is no stranger to pulling off the impossible, from helping vaccinate 900 million children at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to a high-pressure race against the clock to stop the spread of Ebola. His secret? A big bets philosophy—the idea that seeking to solve problems rather than make incremental improvements can attract the unlikely partners with the power and know-how to achieve transformational change. Part career sweeping memoir, part inspirational playbook, Big Bets offers a master class in decision-making, leadership, and changing the world one bet at a time.
Shah animates his strategic insights with vivid behind-the-scenes stories, memorable conversations with household names that helped shape his approach to creating change, and his own personal growth as an Indian-American from an immigrant family looking for a way to belong. He distills his battle-tested strategies for creating change, arguing that big bets have a surprising advantage over cautious ones: a bold vision can attract support, collaborations, and fresh ideas from key players who might otherwise be resistant. Throughout the book, Shah traces his unlikely path to the Rockefeller Foundation across a changing world and through some of the most ambitious, dramatic global efforts to create a better world.
-----
Nevertheless, your question inspires me. It also has me recall Albert Einstein's reflection on imagination.
“Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.”
― Albert Einstein
and my current favorite bible passage:
2 My son, if you accept my words
and store up my commands within you,
2 turning your ear to wisdom
and applying your heart to understanding—
3 indeed, if you call out for insight
and cry aloud for understanding,
4 and if you look for it as for silver
and search for it as for hidden treasure,
5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord
and find the knowledge of God.
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