Jesse Ojuka

One of the most profound things I’ve learnt recently is the terms ‘Classical knowledge’ and ‘Romantic Knowledge’, which Robert M Pirsig beautifully explains in his book ‘Zen & The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance’.

Classical knowledge is an outlook on life that’s more numbers, statistics, and fact-based. Romantic knowledge is an outlook that’s more artistic, intuitive, and emotion-based.

Most arguments and disagreements come down to these fundamental beliefs. The accountant argues with the artist about mortgages, but really, the argument is a philosophical one, not about houses, but about how each other looks at life. This is absolutely critical to understand because when these two perspectives unite and collaborate, we get the greatest innovators and inventions known to man: Computers, Planes, and Space Travel. 

They are all creations of romantic wander combined with engineering.

One of the biggest yet most hidden reasons society is run the way it is, is because everything has become too numbers-based. Classical Knowledge is the only thing we’re taught to qaunitify. The GDP. The number of people unemployed, a person’s salary. We use these metrics to define the success of a society or an individual.

However, how do we quantify whether a society feels content and morally just, and how do we factor that into our decision-making? Emerson says, “No science has sufficient humanity.” We see this lack of humanity in our governments, our education system and our own individual philosophy. As we are run by profits, and numbers at the expense of Humans and Nature.

This is what we are taught, we have to change what we value.

With the impending Ai revolution, many feel anxious as to what the near unknown will bring. However, I see it as an opportunity to enlighten ourselves and create a more balanced society that acknowledges and values the romantic and philosophical aspects of life. Love, Family, Spirituality, Health, Community, Nature, as much as we value profit and numbers.