Question of the Week, Oct. 29, 2008

This situation is very similar to the way we write. We often know little in depth information about a subject before embarking on the journey of writing a paper about it. So, we might see or read something that interests us (overhearing the conversation), but we need more information about it. The sources that we use are often not the first to think actively about this topic, there have probably been numerous discussions or works written about the topic earlier, providing some background information. Once we learn more about the subject, we undoubtedly start to form our own opinions and views about it, which often get shown/exhibited in our writing. Others read this writing of ours and then form their own opinions about it, causing a furthering of the discussion. When we are done writing and people stop reading our paper, the discussion continues with new people until it is no longer relevant or to the end of time. This is a kind of cyclical knowledge. I found Burke's way of portraying this situation very interesting; I had never thought about it like that before.