Prompt: What Constraints Are There On Pursuit Of Knowledge?

Theme: History

Total Word Count:952

INTRODUCTION:

This exhibition dives into the prompt by analyzing and determining the constraints that
the objects had on a historical basis and whether the objects managed to overcome the
constraint to the pursuit of knowledge, weren't able to, or if the objects themselves were
a constraint to another pursuit.

Word Count [1]: 48

Object 1: Europe - Our history

This first object is a textbook by the name “Europe - Our history”. It is a textbook that
contains a diverse range of European history made available throughout Europe and it
was a project that initially started in 2008. These textbooks were originally a project that
was started by German and Polish academics/educators/publishers to create a joint
history textbook. This textbook considered both country's perspectives of WW2 for the
generations to come. It allows the students to make their own judgments of issues that
are presented in the textbooks (Our History. n.d.).
One-sided versions of history can put a barrier on the pursuit of knowledge of the
generations to come. One example of this is North Korea. Their history books were
written from the perspective of communist ideologies and the daily lives of the three
leaders and are a completely subjective viewpoint laced with hatred towards the outside
world.

This object is an example of an object that managed to help people overcome a

constraint and aided in providing ways for people's pursuit of historical knowledge. It is
also an objective way to view a time in history where subjective opinions riddled with
hate could have changed the outcome. The constrain in this was that there were
different opinions and perspectives on both the German and the Polish sides to the
story of WW2. In order to unify those ideas into facts, a credible group of scholars came
together to overcome that constraint. Another constraint that this joint textbook
managed to overcome was to make sure there was no remaining remorse between the
two countries despite many cultural and language barriers (Pick, D. 2020). It showed
that there were two sides to the story and it was okay for some people to be in the
wrong as long as they make effort to mend it back.

Word Count [1]: 304

Object 2: Social media: Instagram

he second object is social media platforms. Social media platforms are digital (mostly
mobile-based) applications that contain and are run through consumer-created content.
People would share themselves on social media to create friends of consuming content
created by others, Social media became a thing in 1997 when the first social media (six
degrees) website became available to the public, and just like social media platforms
these days, it allowed for people to share their profile and make friends (which is still the
common use of these platforms). Although now people have steered more towards fast
entertainment (TeamUnbox, A. 2021).

While the first object may have overcome a constraint, this object in itself would be a
constraint due to its catered accessibility to those who are consumers of it. For
example, without social media, as a student, I could potentially complete many
academic tasks without any distractions and most probably, on time. However, the
constraint to people that may use social media excessively which in turn causes a loss
in focus and time. One way a social media app such as Instagram can do this is by
having short and captivating material. Another is by using algorithms that end up
creating filter bubbles. Filter bubbles are what an app uses to personalize someone's
feed with the location, past clicks, and user information. (Techopedia. (2018)). All things
provided on the platforms appear catered through algorithms so it makes it seem
personal to the consumer. This makes people want to stay on these platforms longer
and unintentionally allows for the apps to constrain them. This constraint can be
overcome with the correct usage of these platforms and in modern days it can be used
to open up more opportunities and paths to knowledge rather than constrain people
from doing so.

Word Count [1]: 296

Object 3: Communist manifesto

More formally known as the manifesto of the Communist Party, the manifesto contains
the writings of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels back in 1848 when rapid economic
growth and unpredictable changes to the workforce were happening. The manifesto
became the foundation of the modern communist movement and it stems from the
book's idea that capitalism would end up self-destructing, inevitably, and also provides
alternatives to the fall of capitalism being socialism and (ultimately) communism. This
manifesto also became the foundation for the creation of today's capitalist/communist
countries such as North Korea, Cuba, and many more. (The British Library, n.d.).

This manifesto is an example of a constraint to another pursuit as this became the

reason for the communist extremist parties all across the world. While this manifesto
was published with the good intentions of giving the plebians a chance to succeed in
life, it became twisted and used by people in power for their own pursuit. A manifesto is
a public document that addresses any topic and gives new ideas forward in the name of
people with similar ideologies and not only of an individual. (Encyclopædia Britannica,
Inc, n.d.). One example of this can be North Korea's current governmental situation.
N.Korea is currently run by a dictator who descended two generations ago from Kim
Il-Sung. His rule was from a time when the Soviet Union was using the Communist
Manifesto to spread communism. This difference in ideologies caused the countries to
still remain split even today. North Korea's lack of advancements compared to the south
just shows how the country could have thrived yet were constrained by ideologies that
seem good in the public eye. Being a constraint to another person's pursuit of
knowledge can come at a cost as can be seen in the example, it has impacted many
lives and has still remained that way.

Word Count [1]: 304