In 'Personal Knowledge', Michael Polanyi explores the intricate nature of knowledge and how it is fundamentally tied to personal experience and tacit understanding. He argues that knowing is not merely about data and facts, but about the rich, subjective context in which we interpret our experiences. Polanyi challenges prevailing notions of objectivity in science, suggesting that personal engagement and hunches play crucial roles in discovery and innovation. Through compelling examples, he illustrates that knowledge is inherently a personal affair, filled with passions and commitments. This thought-provoking work invites readers to reconsider what it means to truly know something.
By Michael Polanyi
Published: 2015
"We can know more than we can tell."
The publication of Personal Knowledge in 1958 shook the science world, as Michael Polanyi took aim at the long-standing ideals of rigid empiricism and rule-bound logic. Today, Personal Knowledge remains one of the most significant philosophy of science books of the twentieth century, bringing the crucial concepts of “tacit knowledge” and “personal knowledge” to the forefront of inquiry. In this remarkable treatise, Polanyi attests that our personal experiences and ways of sharing knowledge have a profound effect on scientific discovery. He argues against the idea of the wholly dispassionate researcher, pointing out that even in the strictest of sciences, knowing is still an art, and that personal commitment and passion are logically necessary parts of research. In our technological age where fact is split from value and science from humanity, Polanyi’s work continues to advocate for the innate curiosity and scientific leaps of faith that drive our most dazzling ingenuity. For this expanded edition, Polyani scholar Mary Jo Nye set the philosopher-scientist’s work into contemporary context, offering fresh insights and providing a helpful guide to critical terms in the work. Used in fields as diverse as religious studies, chemistry, economics, and anthropology, Polanyi’s view of knowledge creation is just as relevant to intellectual endeavors today as when it first made waves more than fifty years ago.
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“We can know more than we can tell.”
Personal Knowledge
By Michael Polanyi
Discover a world of knowledge through our extensive collection of book summaries.
Michael Polanyi (1891-1976) was a Hungarian-British polymath renowned for his contributions to philosophy, economics, and the sciences, particularly in chemistry and the philosophy of science. He is known for his influential works such as 'Personal Knowledge' (1958) and 'The Tacit Dimension' (1966), where he explores the nature of human knowledge and the implicit understanding that underlies explicit knowledge. Polanyi’s writing style is marked by a deep philosophical inquiry combined with scientific rigor, often blending personal narrative with theoretical exploration. His ideas have had a lasting impact on fields ranging from social science to the philosophy of language.
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