According to Kofi Annan, “Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family.”
Knowledge is power. Knowledge empowers a person to control events. A knowledgeable person is able to turn an event, situation, or person in his favor. One’s talent, aptitude, or ability to perform entirely depends upon his level of knowledge, understanding and education. Thus, knowledge is a precondition for success.
What man got from knowledge? Man has placed himself at the top of all living beings and natural objects of the world by means of his great knowledge which he has acquired over the ages. Man has conquered the space above, tamed the sea and scaled the snow-clad mountains. He has dug out the wealth that remained deposited long in the womb of the earth. He makes use of air, water and other elements of nature to run his machines.
Science is a gift of knowledge. Man has ushered in a process to enrich his knowledge that he calls science. Science started its onward march when the primitive man invented the use of fire. Since then science has advanced steadily. It has conquered diseases and made man’s life comfortable. It has given man dazzling material progress. It has made human race living in different parts of the world come to know each other. It has made the world turn into a global village.
Misuse of the power of Knowledge: The fruits of knowledge are not all sweet. The great economic power which knowledge has given created two classes of people – rich and poor. This has brought about exploitation of the poor by the rich. Knowledge has given man another kind of power in the shape of deadly weapons. The two Great Wars of the last century have taught man that the weapons stored in man’s arsenal can turn this beautiful world into a burial ground.