Blog #13

Thoreau’s Walden introduces a deep philosophical concept that’s conveyed by way of using an elaborate metaphor. In the chapter, “The Pond in Winter,” Thoreau starts off by depicting his journey to Walden Pond in search of water. In this particular section, he highlights the rumors of the seemingly bottomless pond. This note was especially significant as he further elaborates on this topic by mentioning that although there are many stories circulating about the endless boundaries of the pond, many will believe the rumors without taking on the means to explore this hidden truth for themselves. This line resonated something with me especially as this line really illustrates the interconnectedness that exists between philosophical thought and other fields, notably the sciences. Within this domain, it is the duty of the scientific community to inform others, both within their own community and outside to the general layman. However, in doing so, much of the information that is presented is rarely questioned as the information scientists present is generally accepted without much question. This again highlights the issue of the expert versus authority, and the gray area that exists between these two concepts. Specifically, as discussed in previous discussions, an expert is generally someone that is knowledgeable about a particular subject/topic, whereas someone that has authority has the capacity to influence those around them (and this can be based on that person’s expertise or not). In relation to this passage, Thoreau introduces a significant idea via this metaphorical passage: at what point should we trust the information presented to us? Throughout the passage, Thoreau appears more of an individual that sets to discover information for himself; this skepticism is something that is a fundamental idea in the field of science. So the question this brings up is: should scientists always remain skeptical of information presented to them (in accordance, will this mindset hinder scientific progress)? And if not, on what grounds should they trust new information, when it’s presented by an expert or authority figure?