The
novel Things Fall Apart was written
in 1958 by Chinua Achebe, a Nigerian writer. During this time, most of Africa
was still under colonialist rule; however, in the novel, Achebe focuses on the
early experiences of colonialism in the late 1800’s. Achebe’s purpose was to
depict the Igbo society with values and conventions that were not barbaric in
addition to complex social systems. He did this as a response to the
representation of Africa made by the colonialists.
Moreover, as stated by Linda Strong-Leek, this book
can be read in many different perspectives for example, from a male point of
view and a female point of view. Specifically in this essay, the TOK
perspective will be critically explored through the question: to what extent
should we accept knowledge by authority? To begin with, key terms from this
question should be explained. Knowledge can be defined as a justified true belief
and an authority is a person or organization having power or control in a
particular sphere. The idea of accepting knowledge by authority is present
throughout the novel.
To
begin with, we accept the information we receive from authority figures because
we believe they are more knowledgeable. For example, we accept the knowledge of
our parents when we are children, of our teachers and our doctors in addition
to many more like government figures. Since our parents, teachers, doctors, and
government figures are more knowledgeable than us we accept the information we
receive from them. This can also be seen in the text through, for example, the
authority figure of the Oracle of the Hills and Caves. There are many occasions
in which the village of Umuofia accepts the knowledge and the decisions taken
by the Oracle. For instance, Ezeudu states, “Yes, Umuofia has decided to kill
[Ikemefuna]. The Oracle of the Hills and the Caves has pronounced it” (57).
This demonstrates an occasion where the entire village accepts the knowledge of
the Oracle and Ikemefuna is murdered. Inclusively, the Igbo people “rely on
their oracles to advise them on what to do when faced with new, strange
situations. As the Oracle has access to divine information, he offers correct
information” (Shmoop). This shows how in the same way as we trust the
medication our doctor prescribes, the Igbo society accepts the information that
the Oracle provides.
However,
the government’s information can be incorrect. They could be manipulating society
for their own purposes. For example, when using euphemisms, like terrorists
instead of freedom fighters, they are simply altering the language they use and
distorting the message that is perceived by the audience. Governments or
authorities often use language and euphemisms to justify their ideas, make
policies seem more acceptable, convince the public of their viewpoints, or
attack opponents. We
should not solely accept knowledge from authority figures because they are an
authority due to the fact that they can be bias, manipulative and even
incorrect.
This
idea can also be seen in the novel when the District Commissioner “sent his
sweet tongued messenger to the leaders of Umuofia asking them to meet him in
his headquarters”(193). He then proceeded to share the information that he
wanted to know what happened in his absence and he brought twelve men in
supposedly so“ they too can heat your grievances” (193). However, the knowledge
that the leaders of Umuofio had received from this authority figure was a
manipulation and they ended up handcuffing them, shaving their hair, starving
them and beating them with a stick. We can see how the information that we
accept from authority figures is not necessarily true and thus, we should not
always trust them.
In conclusion, there are many occasions where we
accept knowledge that we receive from authorities. However, this information
cannot necessarily be trusted due to external factors such as bias and
manipulation. In the novel Things Fall
Apart, the role of authority can be represented through the Oracle in
addition to the idea of misuse of authority for personal gain through the
District Commissioners torture of the six leaders. In conclusion, we should, to
a certain extent, accept knowledge from authority due to fact that some people
of authority are more knowledgeable. However, one must not accept this
knowledge solely because of their authority; one must use reason, perception,
and past events to evaluate the knowledge of the authorities to come to an understanding
of that knowledge.
Bibliography
"Things
Fall Apart Religion Quotes Page 7." Shmoop. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Sept.
2013. <http://www.shmoop.com/things-fall-apart/religion-quotes-7.html>.
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