Read the given passage carefully and answer the question that follows From the seeming irrelevancies of this archaeological gossip, some concrete meaning for the ambiguous term "knowledge" should yet have been emerging. It has at least been distinguished from instinctive "responses" and from what popular psychology terms "memories", as long as such remain personal and private. The knowledge embodied in the hand axes of the Old Stone Age was both useful and public. It enabled our remote precursors or ancestors to make serviceable tools such as they needed to supplement the deficiencies of their limbs and other bodily organs. And it was communicated to and transmitted by all human beings who made hand axes for thousands of generations. Thus this knowledge was preserved - but not only preserved. It was also enriched and extended. During the two or three hundred years over which hand axes were being made, archaeologists can detect improvements in their form and changes in the techniques of manufacture. More efficient tools were produced with less effort. These progressive changes reflect additions to knowledge, discoveries and inventions that were made public and incorporated in the traditional lore or knowledge used, transmitted and maintained by Old Stone Age societies. Of course, the progressive change observed in archaeologists' "hand axes" is just one case of the general technological progress from simple manual tools of stone and bone to complicated machines made of metallic alloys and other artificial substances and operated by electrical or even nuclear power. It is this technological progress that has secured for Homo sapiens the victory over all competitors in the evolutionary race for survival. But technological progress in its turn is just the result and consequence of the accumulation of knowledge. That accumulation was possible just because human knowledge is public; one member of the species can communicate to another what he has found out.
The distinction in knowledge has emphasized through _______
Memories
Analyzing Knowledge Distinction in the Passage
The question asks about the primary distinction in the term "knowledge" as emphasized in the provided passage. To answer this, we need to carefully read the text and identify how the author clarifies what 'knowledge' means in this context.
Identifying Key Concepts in the Passage
The passage discusses the meaning of "knowledge" by contrasting it with other concepts. Let's look at the specific sentences where this distinction is made:
- "It [knowledge] has at least been distinguished from instinctive 'responses' and from what popular psychology terms 'memories', as long as such remain personal and private."
- The passage then describes the knowledge embodied in hand axes as being "useful and public".
- It highlights that this knowledge was "communicated to and transmitted by all human beings" and was "made public and incorporated in the traditional lore or knowledge used, transmitted and maintained by Old Stone Age societies."
Analyzing the Distinction
The passage explicitly contrasts the type of "knowledge" it focuses on (public, useful, transmissible, accumulated knowledge like that found in toolmaking) with "instinctive responses" and "memories" that are "personal and private". The emphasis is on differentiating public, shared knowledge from private, personal experiences or responses.
Evaluating the Options
Let's consider each option in light of the passage:
- Machines: The passage mentions complicated machines as a result of technological progress, which is built upon the accumulation of knowledge. However, the distinction of knowledge itself is not made based on whether it involves machines.
- Manufacturing: The passage uses the manufacturing of hand axes as an example of where public knowledge is embodied, transmitted, and improved. While manufacturing is related to the *application* of knowledge, it is not the concept used to *distinguish* knowledge from something else.
- Memories: The passage directly states that knowledge has been "distinguished from... 'memories', as long as such remain personal and private." This is a clear distinction made by the author.
- Myths: Myths are not mentioned anywhere in the passage.
Based on the direct statements in the passage, the distinction in knowledge that is emphasized is between the public, transmissible knowledge (like toolmaking) and personal, private memories.
Conclusion
The passage explicitly distinguishes the type of knowledge it discusses from personal and private memories. Therefore, memories are what the knowledge is distinguished from according to the text.
The final answer is
Memories
| Concept | Relationship to Knowledge in Passage | Is this the primary distinction emphasized? |
|---|---|---|
| Machines | Result of accumulated knowledge (technological progress) | No |
| Manufacturing | Example of where public knowledge is used and transmitted (e.g., hand axes) | No (it's an example, not the contrast) |
| Memories | Explicitly distinguished from knowledge (when personal/private) | Yes |
| Myths | Not mentioned | No |
Revision Table: Understanding Knowledge from the Passage
| Characteristic of Knowledge (as per passage) | What Knowledge is NOT (as per passage) |
|---|---|
| Useful | Instinctive Responses |
| Public | Personal/Private Memories |
| Communicated & Transmitted | (Implied) Personal, non-sharable experiences |
| Preserved, Enriched, Extended | (Implied) Non-cumulative states |
Additional Information: Types of Knowledge
While the passage focuses on a specific distinction, the concept of knowledge can be categorized in many ways. Here are a few common distinctions:
- Explicit Knowledge vs. Tacit Knowledge:
- Explicit knowledge is easily articulated, written down, and shared (like instructions or facts).
- Tacit knowledge is difficult to transfer to another person by writing it down or verbalizing it; it's more about personal experience, skills, and intuition (like knowing how to ride a bike). The passage's "public" knowledge aligns more with explicit or transmissible knowledge.
- A Priori Knowledge vs. A Posteriori Knowledge:
- A priori knowledge is knowledge gained independently of experience (e.g., mathematical truths).
- A posteriori knowledge is knowledge gained through experience (e.g., scientific observations). The knowledge described in the passage, gained through making and improving tools, is A Posteriori.
- Procedural Knowledge vs. Declarative Knowledge:
- Procedural knowledge is 'knowing how' to do something (like manufacturing a hand axe).
- Declarative knowledge is 'knowing that' something is true (like knowing the chemical formula for water). The passage touches upon both, but emphasizes the procedural aspect (techniques of manufacture) and the declarative aspect (lore or knowledge used).
The passage's distinction between public knowledge and private memories highlights the social and transmissible nature of the kind of knowledge that drives technological and societal progress, contrasting it with personal, non-sharable internal states.
Important Questions from Basic Sociology
Serviceable tools were needed to supplement the deficiencies of
What was the knowledge embodied in the hand axes of the Old Stone Age?
Archaeologists can detect in the form of hand axes and change in ________
Technological progress is the result of the accumulation of ________
In which year was the word Sociology first used?
