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The Advantages and Disadvantages of Searching for Hidden Knowledge

Thuc Nguyen
Dadabhoy
Westminster High School









Hidden knowledge acts as kryptonite for a superman of the mind; the ever appealing
aspect of looking for and applying new information distracts the one who partakes in the voyage
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from distinguishing its good and bad points. The balance between the benefits and consequences
that result from this search and discovery constantly shifts, as they largely depend on how the
implied scholar chooses to process such information. This particular theme, so to speak, in life is
greatly applied in many works of literature, especially the Gothic genre. The well-known
fictional doctors, Faustus, Moreau and Jekyll, are all scholars whose searches for hidden
knowledge lead to great achievements, yet end up playing a large part in their downfalls. The
stories Dracula, Dr. Faustus, Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Metamorphosis, and
Paradise Lost incorporate the importance and influence of knowledge, as well as divulging into
the pros and cons of looking for hidden knowledge, scholarly or not. Examples in life itself
includes human vaccine research, which has grown exponentially, saving many lives. However,
through this increase in vaccines, this results in newer, deadlier bacteria immune to drugs.
Another example can be finding out secrets about ones government; this allows for freedoms,
but the loss of a government causes chaos. So the search for the unknown does not always have a
beneficial result, as seen from both fictional and real-life situations. Ultimately, the
psychological, environmental, and social disadvantages of embarking on a journey focused on
hidden knowledge outweigh the fame, fortune and acknowledgment that comes with it in Gothic
literature. The real world has a more equal balance between the benefits and consequences when
compared to fictional work.
Gothic works of fiction began with Horace Walpoles The Castle of Otrant: A Gothic
Story, and combines horror and romance with melodrama and oftentimes parody in a new form
of terror-inducing stories derived from the Romantic genre. Popularity of the Gothic genre
experienced a decrease during the Victorian period, due to peaked public interest in
Romanticism, and an increase in the 1880s and beyond. In many books, there is the existence of
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the theme of the scholars pursuit of knowledge and how it influences the main character(s),
negatively and positively. The plot-lines use the concept of hidden knowledge as a scare tactic,
as the prospect of the unknown tends to frighten readers, and thus creates excitement and
suspense through making the characters pursue the knowledge.
In fiction, scholars, usually depicted by doctors, heavily depend on the search for hidden
knowledge in order to fulfill their lives; this usually leads to a specific imbalance or pitfall that
would make, for example, a doctor regret his actions. "These metaphysics of magicians/And
necromantic books are heavenly...." (Dr. Faustus, 4). "Lo, Mephistophilis, for love of thee,/ I cut
mine arm, and with my proper blood/Assure my soul to be great Lucifer's" (Dr. Faustus, 20).
Over-ambition contained in scholars with the prospect of finding hidden knowledge can result in
dire consequences, like in Faustus case; he sells his soul for temporary knowledge. "I had
worked hard for nearly two years, for the sole purpose of infusing life into an inanimate
body"(Frankenstein, 43). Frankenstein's interest in life becomes so large that, coupled with his
ambition and wanting to prove others wrong (it is hinted that he wishes to become above others,
in a sense), he embarks on a quest in order to quench his thirst. This quest correlates to the
creation of his monster, of whom eventually eradicates those important to Frankenstein due to
the mans neglect. "These creatures you have seen are animals carven and wrought into new
chapes. To that--to the study of plasticity of living forms--my life has been devoted. I have
studied for years, gaining in knowledge as I go" (Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, 53). "This
extraordinary branch of knowledge has never been sought as an end, and systematically, by
modern investigators, until I took it up! (Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, 53). "I had learned to dwell
with pleasure, as a beloved daydream, on the thought of the separation of these elements// If
each, I told myself, could but be housed in separate identities, life would be relieved of all that
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was unbearable" (Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, 43). Dr. Jekyll wishes for the ability to separate the
good and evil inside his body, and through creating a potion for such a task, he is seen as a
scholar in pursuit of knowledge. The knowledge in question is being able to separate oneself into
two opposite entities in one's body, and trying to change the chemistry of one's soul. Observing
the efforts of these doctors and evaluating the fruits of their labor, one can see that with such
achievements comes great sacrifice. Comparing the fates of such characters with their personal
gains derived from the application of hidden knowledge shows the regret and pain received from
their achievements; in actuality, the motivation behind their actions, the feeling of omnipotence
with regards to knowledge, is not worth the trouble.
Characters not considered scholarly, but still exhibit traits of a scholar, can still exhibit
the thirst for hidden knowledge, like in Dracula and the following stories. "You are a clever man,
friend John; you reason well, and your wit is bold; but you are too prejudiced. . . . Ah, it is the
fault of our science that it wants to explain all; and if it explain not, then it says there is nothing
to explain. But yet we see around us every day the growth of new beliefs, which think
themselves new; and which are yet but the old, which pretend to be young. . . ." (Dracula, 183).
"I read that every known superstition in the world is gathered into the horseshoe of the
Carpathians, as if it were the centre of some sort of imaginative whirlpool; if so my stay may be
very interesting" (Dracula, 2). As stated in Dracula, trying to go past what is known can leave
nothing to the imagination, and thus hinder one in search of it. On the other hand, it is through
Lord Godalming and Dr. Sewards acceptance of Van Helsings new information that they are
able to defeat Dracula. Not all knowledge, then, can be considered a negative impact. "'Here,
happy creature, fair angelick Eve! 'Partake thou also; happy though thou art, 'Happier thou
mayest be, worthier canst not be: 'Taste this, and be henceforth among the Gods 'Thyself a
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Goddess, not to earth confined" (Parardise Lost, Part V). The snake offering and convincing Eve
to the eat the apple is a visual representation of the temptation of hidden knowledge, and Eve
accepting the snake's offer shows her willingness in searching for that hidden knowledge. God
then takes away the privilege of eternal life and paradise from Adam and Eve as punishment.
"'What if I went back to sleep and forgot all this foolishness?'" (The Metamorphosis, 11). Gregor,
contrary to other characters mentioned previously, thinks lightly of his transformation and does
not choose to question it. This dismissal of the unknown eventually leads to his demise later on,
but also results in his family being able to get out of their slump and grow as humans. This
shows how refraining from pursuing knowledge can be a good thing.
In the medical field, the wanting to search for hidden knowledge is elevated with the lives
of others at stake. Elizabeth Davies describes the process and benefits of education for nurses in
Journal of Advanced Nursing:
Those responsible for the education of nurses are well aware of the need to reconcile the
art and science of nursing so that future practitioners can be prepared to offer a
humanistic and professional service to society. One way to assist students in this
integration is to provide them with opportunities for role modeling as a means of
discovering the knowledge embedded in clinical practice. A study of first-year
undergraduate students undertaking a course which provides such opportunities in a
number of practice settings was earned out to determine whether the observation of
clinical role models does lead to knowledge discovery. The study, which used a grounded
theory approach, indicated that the major aspect of nursing uncovered by the
students through observation of clinical role models was that of provision of direct care.
They articulated their values in relation to good and bad care and identified those
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attributes of nurses which they considered contributed to these care positions. In addition,
they were able to recognize creativity and flexibility in practitioners and to relate these
attributes to the ability to provide individualized, context-specific care. There was some
uncovering of aspects of the nurse's role in maintaining their own professional
competence, socializing neophytes into the profession and collaborating with the
members of the multi-disciplinary health care team.
Davies support of improved schooling and expanded knowledge for nurses, along with
her explanations, show the benefits in obtaining hidden knowledge. This want for more
education can be compared to Faustus situation, as both involve the ability to influence others
with new-found information. In continuation to the medical field, text analytics, or the process of
filtering out high-quality information from texts, greatly helps biomedical science. Text mining,
as it is also referred to, is able to interweave informational technology with biomedical
professional knowledge, as well as providing otherwise unknown material about a certain
medical issue, such as autism (Petric, Ingrid). In compilation with acquired knowledge,
nonetheless, is the ever-present invasion of privacy and unwanted alteration of important
information. Influencing knowledge in order to fit ones argument is popular in the medical
subject, especially in promoting new medicines or machines. In a sense, then, this can lead to
misinterpretations and false information being produced from altered facts, negatively affecting
those concerned, like consumers and patients.
Going into medical treatments: they are composed of two elements, the first having to do with
the actual effects of the treatment while the second is the knowledge of the treatment being
performed. This placebo effect can be summed up as a falsified pursuit of knowledge, as one is
tricked into believing that they have been administered the treatment, when, in reality, they have
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been given a fake. The effect of the treatment lies in the reaction of the patients, and studying
such reactions shows that certain results can be achieved with manipulation and that faults exist
in the chase after hidden knowledge. Taking away this placebo effect can create very effective
results, given that open (meaning no placebo) administrations of medicinal and non-medicinal
therapies are more effective than that of hidden administrations. This correlates with
Frankenstein in that, had he educated his creation about life and informed those around him
about the monster, the reader would be led to believe that he wouldnt have had such a bad end.
Steven Belenko, Sandra Langley, Susan Crimmins and Michael Chaple address the need for
knowledge in an AIDS education and prevention official publication of the International Society
for AIDS Education:
Numerous studies have established that incarcerated populations are at substantial risk for
HIV infection. In response, many jails and prisons have increased HIV prevention and
related services. However, although twice as many offenders are under community
supervision as are incarcerated at any given time, HIV prevention needs have been
largely ignored among probationers and parolees, and little is known about their HIV risk
behaviors or HIV prevention needs. Compared with inmates, probationers and parolees
have substantially greater opportunities to engage in HIV risk behaviors. In the present
study, we describe HIV risk behaviors, knowledge, and prevention education experiences
of probationers and parolees in New York City. We find that probationers and parolees
have high rates of unprotected sex, and limited current exposure to effective HIV
education and prevention interventions. Probation and parole departments need to
improve HIV training for officers and make HIV risk reduction services more available.
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This does not directly relate to medical treatment but rather the application of prevention
techniques for a disease; nevertheless, increasing knowledge in HIV is stated to be greatly
critical in preventing the spread of the virus. Being informed of the risks and consequences and
being provided with material as precautionary order demonstrates the goodness in embracing and
sharing hidden knowledge. Point given, this can also be relatable to Frankensteins situation as
he might have been able to avoid his downfall had he shared his hidden knowledge (in his case,
the existence of the monster). This consequently brings up the issue as to whether or not sharing
hidden knowledge is better than obtaining and keeping hidden knowledge to oneself. When one
keeps quiet about having HIV, AIDS or any other disease, they put themselves and others at risk.
The same thing can be said of Dr. Faustus and Dr. Jekyll, both men of whom did not tell others
of their experiments, so to speak, and end up suffering as a consequence. Adding in the variable
of sharing information tips the balance into the beneficial side in regards to pursuing hidden
knowledge; the widespread exploitation of knowledge discovery can be seen as an aid to
assembling knowledge bases in many fields of study, like the medical field (Frawley, William J).
Branching out of the medical field and into the workforce: todays knowledge-based
economy requires a much higher proportion of highly skilled workers and the creation of a
"learning society", imperative for people to acquire the additional knowledge and skills needed
to survive in this new economy (D.W. Livingstone, Peter, 2). The worlds advancement into a
technology-dependent age forces a new set of knowledge criteria onto the working class, and
shows how one may not need to search for hidden knowledge but merely be confronted with it in
order to be affected. In this particular worldly situation, one must look at the consequences of the
existence of new technology (new knowledge): those unable to adapt fall behind and lose
themselves in the modern world, while there are those who exist of whom take advantage of such
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information and abuse it, negatively impacting others. This can be seen again from Faustus
story, as Faustus abuses his right to knowledge and hurts others instead of helping them, when
given a choice. External factors (the knowledge given to him by the devil) must be matched by
appropriate internal factors (his inner character) to properly and appropriately yield knowledge
(Russell, Bertrand), which Faustus fails to do. Further divulging into the career aspect of the
world, Rob Cross and Lloyd Baird provide a different viewpoint comparing technology with
organizational memory:
By nurturing five forms of knowledge retention, managers can build a collective
corporate memory that permeates processes, products, services, and even distributed
digital networks. Many organizations are turning to knowledge management to improve
business performance. Inundated by vast stores of information, organizations must do
more than accrue and store knowledge in order to improve their profitability. Managers
must provide structured learning processes for individuals and groups so that newly
acquired knowledge can be integrated into daily activities... By strengthening all five
forms of organizational memory, companies can ensure that valuable experiential
learning informs collective (and thus individual) processes that will continue to change as
operations evolve according to market demands.
This slight curvature in the theme allows for one to have a refreshing outlook on how to
interpret a scholars search for hidden knowledge in regards to societys advancement. Instead of
going forward and continuing this search, this suggestion of pausing to recollect the information,
to organize and characterize it, causes another tip in the scale of advantages and disadvantages,
towards the beneficial side. For a knowledge-based enterprise to succeed, there must be a certain
line to be drawn as to how much knowledge can be used and processed (Allee, Verna). This also
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brings the topic of limits of hidden knowledge and when one should realize their own limits, like
when Dr. Jekyll failed to stop drinking his concoction in time to save himself. But reconnecting
to the theme at hand: the evolving world strongly depends on ambition and an expedition into the
unknown (in terms of information) in order to thrive, so the balance between good and bad
consequences of looking for hidden knowledge must be kept generally equal.
Through Gothic literature and real-world applications, one can see why the theme of the
scholars pursuit of hidden knowledge exists predominantly. Human ambition and their tendency
to chase after their desires leads to an eternal longing for the unknown and to discover the
unknown. The positiveness and negativeness of the effects that befall them after this discovery,
on the other hand, varies depending on their characters and methods to obtaining the information.
One can be like Dr. Faustus, Frankenstein, or even Adam and Eve, and choose to take advantage
of that hidden knowledge, save it for themselves and face both the benefits and consequences (in
which the consequences outweigh the benefits), or become like Gregory (The Metamorphosis),
modern scientists and teachers, or researchers for prevention and treatment of human illnesses,
and either not embrace the hidden knowledge or take it and disperse the information to the public
in order to benefit others (in this case, both the consequences of losing full ownership on the
information and benefits of sharing with the world are in balance).




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