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We live in an age where more and more information reaches us, but it is increasingly difficult to turn this information into knowledge. Information will convert into knowledge only when we can give it meaning, discusses Tõnu Viik, professor of philosophy at Tallinn University.

Converting information into knowledge demands interpreting, analysing and associating it with a wider context. If one of these steps is taken in a wrong way, we end up with lies instead of the truth. A truthful knowledge can be gained by correctly interpreting the information.

Alas, knowledge in itself – based on the correct interpretation of information – is fragmented and distant from reality nowadays. We know particularities about many details, but they do not form larger wholes and thus are very difficult to integrate into our everyday lives. This means this knowledge does not change our lives – what we believe in, what principles we follow or how we understand the world and ourselves.

But perhaps we do not need knowledge tied to life and living? We feel we already know how to live. It is clear we all want to live well, and to live well we need a good job, a lot of money, a faithful partner, good friends, exciting experiences, health and other such. What else is there to think or know?

This question has intrigued philosophers since the dawn of time. In Plato’s dialogue “Euthydemus” Socrates brings out a few simple arguments. He asks if riches make a man happy even if he is too ignorant to do anything with the money? Probably not.

Does the same not apply to the other attributes of the good life: nice job, faithful partner, friends, excitement, health and others? One must have a skill to do a good job. But that’s not all – one must also have knowledge about how to work in a way one doesn’t burn out and get stressed.

One must know how to love their partner and respect their friends. It should be clear that by acting like a complete idiot, one would lose their job, friends and lover. Health is also something we must know how to keep. Ergo, says Socrates, a good life needs some special type of knowledge, or no factors of having a good life would matter the least.

Knowledge that makes life better is known as wisdom. We are already used to thinking of ourselves as wise people, who possess such knowledge. But is it really so? Are we already wise?

Socrates asked his compatriots over two and a half thousand years ago about things they thought they knew and things that seemed self-evident, but they could not really explain. Such Socratic questions are rhetoric by nature and their goal is to make the listeners think.

If this were to happen, the main question would be whether it is possible to reach knowledge and if yes, then what should we do to get there?

Philosophy is the art of reaching knowledge.