Summary of Jonathan Rauch's The Constitution of Knowledge

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Book Preview:

#1 In the dialogue Theaetetus, Plato imagines a conversation between Socrates and a young man named Theaetetus. Socrates attempts to determine whether the young man is also a philosopher, and whether philosophical puzzles are dizzying to him. Theaetetus protests that he is not a great intellect.

#2 Theaetetus is a dialogue about knowledge, and it is not easy to acquire. It demonstrates the spirit of rigor and humility, which are the foundations of the truth-seeking attitude. It teaches us that knowledge is not just something we have, but something we share together.

#3 I was a journalist because I was forced outside of myself. I could do nothing on my own. Facts were gathered from interviews and sources, and analysis was checked with experts. Every sentence was edited and copy-edited, and I was constantly being challenged on my claims.

#4 The American marketplace of ideas is a good metaphor, but it is incomplete. Ideas do not talk directly to each other, and the entire system relies on a foundation of values: a shared understanding that there are right and wrong ways to make knowledge.

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Rafbók: 22 april 2022