This article is an excerpt from the Shortform book guide to "The Tao of Pooh" by Benjamin Hoff. Shortform has the world's best summaries and analyses of books you should be reading.
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What is the problem of knowledge? Why is knowledge a bad thing in Taoist philosophy?
The problem of knowledge is the Taoist concept that having knowledge doesn’t amount to wisdom or a joyful life. Simplicity is better than accumulating information.
Read more about the problem of knowledge and how it is explained in The Tao of Pooh.
Owl and the Problem of Knowledge
In the world of Pooh, Owl represents the Brain, or scholar. In Chinese culture, the scholar is the embodiment of knowledge and signifies the way of Confucianism. The scholar seeks knowledge simply for the sake of having it and guards it closely. The knowledge problem is that it is disseminated to the general public using pretentious or overwrought language to create distance between the reader and the information. If we can’t understand what the scholar is saying, they can remain superior and unchallenged. The priority is to prove their own intelligence, not enlighten others.
But looking at life through the lens of academic dissertation is like getting to know someone by looking at their wax replica in a museum. Scholarship loses the spirit of life and often expresses things in a way that differs from lived experience, which makes the concepts more difficult to grasp. Knowledge and experience are not equal, and not everything can be named or identified by category or genus. There are many useful applications for the characteristics and activities of scholars, but there is more to life than what can be intellectually understood.
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Here's what you'll find in our full The Tao of Pooh summary :
- How Winnie-the-Pooh perfectly models the principles of Taoism
- The 6 principles of Taoism reflected in Pooh's adventures
- How to become Winnie-the-Pooh and unlock a magic inside of you
